Falling For The First Mate

Chapter 1

Poisoned clouds hung low over the harbour, enveloping the late evening in a cloak of darkness. The eerie clicking of footsteps against paving stones had even the bravest glancing over their shoulder in fear. Somewhere in the distance, a crow fixed its beady eyes upon a blood-stained heap of meat that could well have been a human hand the previous morn. And the innocent who passed through the port crossed themselves and swore it to be haunted, for a pirate port it was, and a dangerous one even by the filthy standards of those.

The fading echoes of drunken sea shanties reverberated off of the walls near the ancient pub and renowned pirate haunt, The Rusty Cutlass. And in the faint sea breeze, the peeling pub sign creaked on its hinges while the building swallowed those who lusted after the rum in its stomach.

In the depths of the night, when all living souls were either sleeping or intoxicated, a single ship made port. As it docked next to another, its shadow blocked out the waning light of the moon. Immediately, all fell into darkness.

The night hides the worst of crimes. Pirates work best in the darkness.

________

“Don’t tease me, Terrian, or I’ll make you regret it.”

Evanora glared at her brother as he made his way toward her. He raked a hand through his already mussed hair, leaving a trail of grease in its wake. Dark circles threatened his misty eyes. He had been up all night again, working on the swords.

This was their reality: a home in a neglected armoury with poor lighting and little warm water, no coins in their pockets and an overall painfully mundane existence.

“Is that a threat?” Terrian raised his eyebrows.

“It might be.”

Throwing her a blade, Terrian parried the blow his sister attempted to deliver. She growled in playful outrage, spinning on her heel and thrusting her sword above his defences. He stepped back, his laughter halted, as her sword brushed against his neck, scraping at his skin. Too close.

For a few minutes, the pair of siblings clashed their blades, stepping nimbly and evenly matched, locked in a routine they knew well. Evanora flew to her knees and attempted an attack from below, but Terrian was ready. Shifting position as easily as it is to walk, he bent and blocked, crossing swords with her for the thousandth time.

Terrian’s expert footwork made it clear that he belonged to the elite group of soldiers and sailors serving under the king himself. It was an honour Terrian did not take lightly, however using his experience to gain victory over his sister was always a cause for amusement. He was home on temporary leave, a holiday that finished that afternoon. This was their last fight.

Evanora had the upper hand already. Terrian was tired from his gruelling night of labour so his sword seemed to gain weight as the duel progressed. Soon she would overpower him.

In a few swift motions, Terrian was on his knees, both swords pressed up against the pulsing skin of his throat, breathing unsteadily with the shock and sudden wounds to his pride.

“Promise you'll stop teasing me.” she commanded.

“Never!” Terrian always played the hero.

“Come on Terrian, I don’t want to have to kill you…you’ll get bloodstains all over the floor and I don’t want to explain them to father.”

Her voice was confident, playful, however Terrian did not fail to realise how it broke slightly at the mention of their father. He narrowed his eyes, and then they sparked with a newfound idea.

“Alright, Nora. You win.” he muttered.

Immediately, Evanora lowered the swords. She replaced them inside the scabbard that hung from the belt around her waist. Gloating with victory against the brother she so respected, she wiped the dust from her hands onto her overalls and backed away, allowing him space to stand as she presented him with her back.