Freedom's Horizon (WLW)

Part One: Chapter Six

November 1674, The Caribbean Sea, Onboard the Midnight Scarlet, Captain's Quarters

Aimee awoke at the sounds of waves whipping against the side of the ship, making it jostle about rather awfully for several minutes as she gripped at the sheets beneath her. Once the vessel settled, she carefully sat up and grunted as she felt hot pain searing her throat. It hurt to even breathe. When she felt what appeared to be bandages draped around her neck, she pulled her fingers back and found small amounts of blood with the same thick kind of ointment that had been applied to her backside. So, at least her throat wasn't bleeding like before, but how long had she been...

"Four days." Aimee spun as a gentle voice called out from behind herself and spotted Esme at her desk leaning over maps and other parchments.

She didn't even bother looking up at Aimee and her anger was beyond obvious. It coated the entire room, emanating from a fierce aura around her. Aimee swallowed past the lump in her throat, scrambled back as quickly as she could and fell off of the bunk. She grunted again and shook her head, but regretted it when her neck began to ache and her head spun even more. She braced her hands against the floor and felt herself trembling from head to toe each time she tried to push herself up. Finally giving up, Aimee slumped to the floor with closed eyes and gingerly gripped her throat as its incessant throbbing remained unrelenting.

"I wouldn't move if I were you, lassie. You haven't eaten much aside from liquids since before our last battle which as I said was days ago." Aimee opened her eyes, but refused to glance up, not with the way Esme's voice sounded. "I had to feed you sugar water and soggy mashed potatoes myself, which took time from my busy schedule." Esme's voice was drawing closer and Aimee turned over and sat up, pushing away from her along the floor.

As she did, she hit the door and reached up to the handle, yet it wouldn't budge. I thought it--

"You thought it only locked from the outside?" Esme finished her thought before she could.

Aimee finally peered back at her and watched as Esme squatted down in front of her, intertwining the fingers of both her hands and squeezing them so tightly they shook. She followed Aimee's eyeline and as if embarrassed by the trembles, she released her hold and shook out one of her hands. With the other, she reached into her shirt and pulled out a key. Just how many locks did the damn door need? Aimee finally managed to pull herself up to her feet on shaking legs and Esme followed. She braced her hands on either side of her along the door and blew hot air from her nostrils.

"I've a dead cabin boy, a boat with several holes in it and a wench who is keen on lyin'. Explain it all to me. Now."

Aimee shivered at the coldness in her voice and noticed something new about her as well. Esme seemed to drop proper etiquette when angriest and Aimee couldn't fight the wave of nausea taking her over. She hadn't ever seen this side of the captain directed at herself and now knew exactly why the crew cowered when faced with it. She knew there had to be a darker side to Esme with how she carried herself in battle and the fact that she was technically a pirate captain, but she hadn't imagined it to be so stiflingly debilitating.

Aimee forgot to breathe for several seconds before Esme leaned in closer, appearing more upset as she slammed her fist against the door once more, this time causing a resounding crack to fill the room. Aimee peeked over at where her fist rested and found a new rift emerging just past it along the wood. She slowly turned her head back toward the captain and found those paralyzing iris demandingly staring back at her.

This type of strength wasn't right, Aimee knew that, but she tried to dispel the thought from her mind and kept it on the nearly gray eyes before her. They appeared to be growing lighter the more frustrated Esme became and Aimee gulped in fear of the lack of gentle lavender in them.