The Taming CON'T (Part II)

Behind Schedule

LandingTown Dock, IgonoxSEBASTIAN

I hate being behind schedule. Sebastian watched the FireStar draw port in LandingTown.

Behind schedule. He noted. Again.

The one thing that kept the chaos in Sebastian's life carefully reined in was his meticulous devotion to being on schedule in all things he could control.

Like my ship. His first mate was trusted to go on the regular runs to the Isle in his place. Under the condition that he is on time when he returns!

As it drew port and the gangway was slapped down, Bast's boots clicked sharply along the wood. "Boy!"

What the hell was the delay?

"No' a boy!" A short man rippling with muscle met him on the deck. Glowering beneath a riot of black curls.

Bast spotted the familiar face.

Boy had a furious expression that belied all the vulnerability of the lad who'd once been stolen by Cimmerii from this dock, many years ago.

The same boy I raised aboard my ship.

"Why are you late?" Sebastian demanded. Angst written over his handsome features.

"I'm ne'er late!" He shouted back. Making fists. "Ye know well me wouldna be, were there no' a good reason!"

What reason could there possibly be?

"Do enlighten me!" Bast fumed. "Pirates don't dare bother my flag, so what the devil is your 'good' reason?"

"We had a for'nigh' of sea storms for starts. Go' washed inta the Peril."

The Peril Sea? What were they doing that far West? Bast's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to ask.

Reading his thoughts, Boy answered ahead of me. "I wasna o'er there!"

"Clearly you must've, or you wouldn't have ended up there."

"The storms!"

"I trust you with my ship because you're a hell of a sailor. But I don't pay you to go on strange jaunts with it!" His rage mounted.

"Yer righ'!" Boy tossed his hands. "I tour'd the Peril for me own en'ertainmen'!"

Bast reached to swat him along the back of his head for this defiance, as he'd often done over the years. But seeing it coming, Boy swatted it aside.

"Yer righ'!" He decreed dramatically. "I should've loaded 'er on me back and swam the storm!"

Boy was glowering at Bast, his brown eyes sparking.

"Seems a reasonable option compared to being late."

But Bast was calming, a bit proud of Boy's gumption. He backs down to no one. Not even me.

Once Sebastian's temper cooled, he could see that the younger man was clearly just as frustrated as he was, by the delay.

He knew I'd be mad. He prepared for this argument. Bast recognized.

"Pah!" Boy threw his meaty arms up in aggravation.

Bast hid the smile creeping into his expression. Hooking an arm around the shorter man's thick neck, he tucked Boy under his arm as he used to when the man was still a lad. Bast ruffled that curling black hair. "Expec' more of you lad."

"Not a lad." Boy glared up at him. Reiterating the words he'd said a thousand times.

"Well what else would you have me call you?"