The Storyteller of Table Three [ON HOLD]

[1] - The Captain's Request

Silena leaned on the wooden railing of the pirate ship, the wind whipping her raven black hair back to reveal electric blue eyes, the same shade as the stirring ocean. Men were running around on the deck behind her, paying no attention to her, as if she were invisible. They let her do just how she pleased, those were the orders from the captain, and no one dared to disobey him. No one except Silena, perhaps, who tried to live each day as if it were her last, and knowing the captain's temper, every day might be.

The waves gently crashed against the hull of the boat, making it rock at a lulling pace, one she had grown up with. Half of the men, sleeping down bellow deck, would be drifting off to sleep by now. No one had come to tell her to go to sleep, and if she didn't get direct orders from the captain, she would not. Silena could see the island of Aliglesia in the distance, and did not want to miss the moment when they got to port.

A clicking of thick leather heels was heard coming up the creaky wooden steps stairs, jumping over the last step and onto the deck. Silena did not turn around, even when the footsteps stopped next to her again.

It was the captain, she knew by just the smell of him. Captain Caspian Archer carried the misty smell the air would carry during a heavy rain mixed with peppermint. His stringy black hair didn't quite reach his shoulder but did a very good job shielding his face from the view of anyone, unless you were standing directly in front of him. His eyes were stormy gray, almost electrifying when he was angry. A long jagged scar that didn't seem to be able to have come from a knife ran down the lower part of his jaw-line.

He nodded curtly in Silena's direction, not bothering with the formalities. It wasn't that Caspian didn't have manners; he just chose to treat Silena like anyone else in the crew.

"Tomorrow, I want you to stay inside your cabin." he commanded roughly, running a hand through his hair. Caspian then extended his hand in her direction, an expression of bitterness etched into his strong features. "I told you not to touch my things," he added, growling, then said a bit more softly in an almost joking manner, "You never know what you'll find in a pirate's cabin."

Eyes narrowed suspiciously, Silena bent down and pulled up the leg of her pants. She never wore dresses; dresses were for the beautiful girls who strolled the streets of small towns like the ones on Aliglesia, fluttering fans and batting their eyelashes. Silena never wished to be like that, dependant on a man to do everything for her.

"Hurry up, girl." Caspian snapped, back to his normal self.

Growling, Silena slowly undid the knot she had tied into a red bandanna she had found in the captain's quarters. She had needed to tie her dagger to her ankle for the morning's expedition and had found nothing better. It wasn't until late afternoon that she realized that the bandanna she had borrowed (with full intention of returning it, of course) was Caspian's favourite.

When a minute had slowly slipped by and Silena was still undoing the knot as slowly as she could, just to irritate him, Caspian had had enough and kicked the girl in the side. She stumbled back, landing on the deck with a thump. Her eyes flashed dangerously, her mouth pressing itself subconsciously into a thin line to prevent herself from spitting out the insults that came to mind. A smirk played at the corner of his lips, but was quickly cleaned right off his face when a large wave from the previously-calm ocean came over the railing and soaked the young man to the bone.

Caspian snarled viciously under his breath but did not move, aware of the many beady eyes on his back. The crew was trying to hide their laughter in their whistling or they attempted to turn it into a cough. The captain whipped around, his anger ablaze.

"YOU THINK IT'S FUNNY, DON'T YOU, YOU INSOLENT HOUNDS?" he bellowed into the night. In one fluid motion, he had his gun out and shot it once in the air. The sound rang in the silence that had suddenly overcome the crew as they all paused in their tasks. "Well, what are you waiting for? GET BACK TO WORK!"