Treasure of the sea |Lesbian story|

CHAPTER XXII

The following day, right on schedule, the Galatea set sail again and reached the open sea. We went back to that annoying daily routine, made of salty splashes, ropes, sails and orders, orders, orders. It seemed that Arenis didn't know how to do anything but give orders all the time. She ran the crew with an iron fist and wasn't lenient with anyone, not even me.

The days went by. The monotony had become unbearable, as had the talk: always the same. Even the hours had become odious: wake up at six, breakfast at six thirty, lunch at twelve, dinner at seven. Each passing minute was similar to the next. Only the sea changed, along with the sky. It could be rough, calm or smooth. As Arenis predicted, I got used to the sea. I was no longer seasick, to my relief.

The Captain had determined to make me a proper sailor, so that I could be useful to her crew. She commissioned Dilthey to be my teacher and he showed me all the tasks, from the simplest to the most difficult. He instructed me carefully, patting me lightly on the shoulder when I did the work as it should be done, or when I excelled in a particular situation. Jackie Jay often kept us company, teasing my teacher when he felt like it and giving me some extra advice when it occurred. Dinnington watched from a distance, making sure the two of them didn't get too lost in small talk. Dilthey, when he wanted to teach me how to climb the rigging so that I could take turns on the lookout, he understood that I was prevented by my clothing.

"You could shorten the skirt..."

"What? No way."

"You cannot climb with these clothes on."

"Then I won't climb."

Dilthey stared at me, frowning. "It's not good for you to keep all this stuff on you on a ship. What if -by some strange accident- you fell overboard? You nearly drowned last time because of these clothes."

When the Captain came to visit me in my quarters that evening, with a sardonic smirk on her lips, I knew that I should have foreseen that Dilthey would not let me get away with it so easily. I shot Arenis a sour look when she handed me some men's garments.

"Are you kidding?" I asked.

"I assure you, Miss Adler, try wearing trousers just once and you will see that you will no longer dare to wear skirts."

"These are men's clothes, I can't..."

"You do not have to abide by the rules of society on this ship."

"But-" I was mortified. Skirts for a woman could prove useful in many cases; the first thing a skirt did was hide body flaws. It was able to disguise certain curves and accentuate others. Pants, on the other hand... Pants showed everything. They looked good on the Captain, she had a supple, slender body, but it would definitely be different for me. Arenis raised an eyebrow seeing me so embarrassed.

"Come on. Give it a try," she insisted.

The black jacket she handed me was rather faded; sea life condemned clothes to fading. Then I looked sceptically at the trousers. They were rather baggy at the ends. I had seen many a sailor roll them up to clean the decks, to climb the rigging or to seek some coolness on hot days.

Arenis gave me an ambiguous look and left me, closing the door behind her to allow me to change. I let out a sigh of resignation. When I was dressed, I felt the fabric, which was most likely serge, pressing against my thighs. I had the sensation of being naked. When I took a few steps, I was surprised that my walk was not impeded by anything. I was strangely... freer.

"Are you dressed?" asked Arenis, outside the door.

"Yes, but-"

The door creaked open. I quickly grabbed the dress I had laid on the bed and pressed it against me to cover myself. Arenis crossed the threshold and giggled at seeing me in that position.