Little Wolf - Slow Updates

Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - Fortuna's ship

The wind was in their favour...

Jean-Joseph and Fortuna were able to steer the vessel towards a small trench where to English their ships didn't fit through. Because there wasn't any light on, the enemies fleet wasn't able to even notice the smaller ship that passed them.

A moment, they were so close that everyone, included the French Commodore, held their breaths...Scared that the English freggat close by, would even hear their heartbeats.

They didn't hear nor see them and when Declan went above deck, they were in deep waters again. Much to his relief, he couldn't even see another vessel on the horizon.
It took Jean-Joseph three hours to steer the ship away from Dunkirk and the sun was slowly rising. The rays of Sun chased away the horrors of a burning city from their minds, yet everyone was silent.

Kate and Liz stared at the men who were covered in blood and dirt before they nodded at each other. They disappeared below after they filled some buckets with the ice cold water of the North Sea.

Rob was the first who was able to wash himself below deck. The women had made sure the water was heated and just warm enough to not cause any of the group ammonia.

It wasn't until the man was dressed and turned to go back upstairs, that he almost bumped against Liz who stood next to the stairs in the shadows.

His bright blue eyes got a hold on hers and she smiled weakly. She rubbed her own arms against the cold and Rob stared at her.

"I wanted to thank you," she said and he took a small step back when she came too close.

Liz saw his reaction and stood still instead of taking one more step.

"Thank you for fighting for us," she nodded when Rob replied with a short one of his own, his gaze already travelled towards the stairs. He was finding a way to get out of her apologies, fast.

Liz heard Tala laugh from behind her on the bed and saw Rob's features contort in a painful one. The emotion was gone as soon as she saw it, but it was there.

"She wasn't your little sister, was she?"

Rob snapped his head into her direction. His eyes bore into hers and this time it was Elizabeth who took a step back.

"My daughter," he replied after a few moments of silence. "I lost her due to the pocks. My wife followed shortly after."

He had stated the facts with an absent sounding voice and Liz didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry," she said right before he ran up the stairs and as far away as possible from her.

"What did you do to the lad," McTaggart looked over his shoulder to a disappearing Rob while descending the stairs.

"Nothing," Liz said, walking back to Tala and Kate. "Just thanking him for saving my life back there."

"Aye, good lad," the Scotsman muttered before he went to wash himself.

The ship seemed to stay in calm waters and when Tala was sound asleep, the water was refreshed by Kate and heated up again, Declan showed his face below deck. When he locked eyes with Liz, she smiled at him brightly and walked over to him.

"How is everything going upstairs," she asked while they made their way to the back.

Declan glanced towards her and nodded once.

"Fortuna has command again," he replied, "but Jean did a good job getting us out of Dunkirk. We'll be soon out of the North Sea, setting sail to the South to Cuba."

"Do you trust him?"

Declan heard the doubt in her voice and he turned to face her. He rubbed his hand through his hair and shrugged.

"No," he admitted, causing Liz to take a breath out of relief. "He got us out of there, though. We're stuck with him. I can't throw him over board. That man has knowledge of the Oceans and ships that Fortuna hasn't."

Liz nodded, saw Declan turn to feel the water with his fingers before he grunted. It was a happy sound and it made Liz her stomach feel the familiar butterflies.

Her hands came to rest on his shoulders and she felt him stiffen his posture under his touch. The reaction made her doubt, wanting to pull her hands back when Harp's hand came to rest over his shoulder on hers.

He slowly turned to face her and looked down at her. His thumb caressed her cheek. The touch made Liz close her eyes and she couldn't hold back the sigh that escaped her lips.

Realisation hit her that they hadn't slept together in over a year and when Declan pulled himself back to take of his dirty coat and shirt, Liz had to bite the inside of her cheeks to not jump him right then and there.

She couldn't hide the crimson colour that formed on her now heated cheeks while her gaze travelled over his bare chest to his face. A playful smirk around Harp's lips, made her heart beat even faster and Liz swallowed hard.

His hands were on her hips in an instant, pushing her back against the wall of the ship while Harp's lips crashed on hers. A kiss that Liz replied with passion and her arms circle around him to hold him close against her.

The warmth radiating of his skin when her fingers travelled up and down his back, send a shiver through her body and Liz needs to break the kiss to take a deep breath in.

Declan found her gaze, gently wiped away some strands of hair that came loose from her bun. Her eyes were blurry, his body slightly trembled against his and Harp took a deep breath through his nose to gather his thoughts.

He kissed her lightly on the forehead, resting his head on her hair.

"You're still healing," he murmured.

Liz groaned out of frustration, which made him laugh before he looked down at her again. She knew he was right, but Harp noticed how her eyes travelled over his chest and shoulders. The darker shade of green in her eyes, made him almost loose control himself, but instead of picking her up and having her right then and there, Harp took a small step away from her.

Her cheeks were flustered and her breathing slowed down as soon as he was a bit away from her. Elizabeth straightened her hair and clothes before she looked at him.

"I would help with the washing and all," she murmured out of breath, finger pointing at his chest and face. "But, I think it's better I go see how Tala is."

Declan raised a brow, couldn't help the deep chuckle that escaped from his chest and nodded.

"I will see you when I'm done."

"Uhu," was all she said, coughed to clear her throat and hurried away from him.

She knew he was right : Liz was still healing and with all the people on board, there wasn't a lot of room to be intimate with just the two of them. The best thing to do now, was to keep as many space between her and a half naked Harp who was washing himself. The water would just cascade down his shoulders and define his muscles even ....

She cursed when she entered the sleeping room, causing Kate to look up at her.

"You're all sweaty," the woman said, making Lis shake her head.

"I needed to carry the bucket full of water," she said as an excuse before she let herself fall down in her cot.

Now that Tala was asleep, she might get some hours of rest too....The burning sensation between her thighs of seeing Harp like that, would eventually go away. Right?