Freedom's Horizon (WLW)

Part One: Chapter Ten

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

Esme opened her eyes to the dim, early morning sun breaking through the clouds and groaned. She rolled over, but felt arms wrapped around herself and glanced toward them to find Genny in her bunk. When had she gotten there? When had Esme even returned to her cabin?

She tried to remember the happenings of the night prior, yet nothing aside from the barest images came to mind and none of them held Genny's face. Esme sat up and rubbed her own with her hands and then glanced around the room, finding several empty rum bottles laying around. When had she drunk so much?

She stood and made her way to her mirror and wash basin resting on her desk. She cupped some water in her hands and flitted her eyes to her reflection to find blood still staining her cheeks. As she stared at herself, she felt the water trickling between her fingers and tried to recall its source. Blood... That blood belongs to...

Esme spun around, wiping her hands along her thighs, and watched Genny sleeping in her bed. She moved back to her and lifted the covers to find her completely nude. Esme flitted her eyes down to her own naked body and spotted love marks in several places. It wasn't very smart of her to sleep without any clothes on, that she knew, but she at least usually wore her long undergarments to bed if nothing else most nights. What if something had happened during her slumber and she was having to waste time dressing when she could be helping elsewhere?

Genny should have made her put something on. In fact, why hadn't she? That wasn't like her at all. Genny was always so alert and attentive down to the smallest detail, which was why she became their marksman. However, lately she just hadn't really been her typical stoic, yet thoughtful self. Esme tried again like hell to remember what happened overnight, but her head began to ache the more she thought back on it.

She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them once more and scanned Genny's body for any sign of injury. There were love marks along her skin and bite impressions on her shoulder and neck as well, but no blood. Actually, the marks fell along a path Esme knew entirely too well and it sent a chill down her spine. That is where... She shook the thought free from her mind, knowing full well it was absolutely absurd, and touched her cheek where traces of blood still lay.

If it was not hers, then who else's blood could it...? Esme remembered her whip cascading through the air and ran to her discarded clothing. Yanking them onto her body and grabbing her lantern, Esme lit it and unlocked her door as quietly as she could. When she checked over her shoulder and was certain she hadn't woken Genny, Esme made her way to the main deck and down the stairs to the crew's barracks.

She grabbed the chime she woke them with each morning and began ringing it. They all leapt up and scattered, getting their clothing on as they made their way to the main deck. They'd all gotten to sleep in on account of her tardiness and she was sure the night crew needed some rest. Esme didn't need to say one word and smirked as they all gathered their things rather clumsily in their morning stupor and left the hammocks and bunks where they slept. All but one was emptied in a matter of minutes and she knew to whom this hammock belonged.

Esme gulped again as she finally fully remembered the punishment she'd dealt Aimee and guilt flooded her stomach. She hesitantly walked toward the hammock. Esme lifted the lantern in her hand a bit higher to get a better view and saw bandages wrapped around Aimee's torso with only the smallest bits of blood on them. She smelled something familiar coming from the bandages and against her better judgment, she reached out.

Esme lifted one of the makeshift bandages and a thick ointment coated her fingers. Lord, no! Not Aimee, not again... Esme cupped her mouth and stifled the growl in her throat as she nearly vomited.