A Pirate's Tale [COMPLETED]

Chapter 10 - "Keep this to yourself."

The last strains of music drifted off, slipping through the packed tavern and sinking into hearts. As the crowd began to rustle, gathering their tangled emotions back together, Isla broke from the song's trance.

When she turned to her father, she found there were tears in his eyes. It was a sight that startled her, tugging at the strings in her chest. The smile he gave her was one of sorrow. When Isla touched his hand, the memory he was lost in cleared.

"You look so much like her, Little Wander," Zev said, touching Isla's chin.

The tears were given meaning and the song was encased forever in memory.

A skittering pain tore through Isla's sleep. She let out a hiss, rolling off her injured arm. As the shock subsided, she blinked, entering the day. She stared up at the ceiling letting the dream tangled with her recollection drift off like mist under the morning sun. The shush of the ocean pulsing against the side of the ship acted as a reminder that they were moving.

Turning her head, she stared at the cabin. Strands of morning light wound their way through the window, like ribbons pulled from the sun. In the brightness, she could see the image of her father, leftover from her mind's nightly wandering.

Swinging her legs off the bed, she banished the remnants of her sleep. Jakks' shirt pooled around her waist, the smell of him clinging to her skin. She stood, examining the wound on her stomach. Like Jakks had said it wasn't deep and hadn't bled at all during the night. At least it was one less form of weakness. As for her arm, that throbbed, but the stitches had done their work and it wasn't bleeding.

At her door, Isla called for Sparrow and retreated back to her desk, leaning against the sturdy wood. The door swung open and Sparrow bounded in like he was his own source of sunshine.

"Morning, Captain," he said, his smile one of youth and endless energy.

"Sparrow, I need salve, bandages, and whatever cook has made," she said.

A flicker of curiosity brightened Sparrow's brown eyes but he kept his tongue firmly between his teeth, instead offered a nod. When he left, Isla eased her arm out of the sleeve and tossed aside Jakks' shirt. At a basin in the corner, she washed as best she could and retrieved a new shirt from her bureau. By the time Sparrow returned, she was seated behind the desk, the injured arm uncovered. At her wounded bicep, Sparrow's eyebrows shot up.

"Captain," he said.

She waved a hand to the door. "Close it. I don't want Hawk seeing."

As Sparrow shut the door, he kept his eyes on Isla's arm, and she could see the stories spinning around his head. Sparrow set down a plate of food and handed Isla a glass jar that held a strong herbal scent when she opened the top. The throbbing diminished as she applied the salve and Sparrow wrapped the wound up again.

"What happened?" he asked, burning for a good tale.

"A complication." She met his eyes, holding them in a firm grip. "Keep this to yourself. Understand?"

The excitement of Sparrow's imagination fizzled out.

"Aye, Captain."

As Isla tucked her arm back into the sleeve and tied her hair back, the previous night replayed in her mind. The end result was a ticking clock that echoed in her head. She ate half of what was on the plate, impatience destroying her appetite.

On deck men were eating, stretching and settling in for the day. The flawless blue sky raced to meet the ocean at the world's end. Hawk approached Isla as she crossed towards the brig. She beat him to speech.