Hell Hath No Fury - Book One

Unemployed

"It's just I would think we have become friends over the past few suns working together and I didn't want you to be cross with me," Pearl admitted and Ava leaped forward to close the gap between them and hugged Pearl.

Pearl hugged back with little hesitation and Ava felt the boatswain relax under her embrace. Ava pulled away and did a silly bow before returning to her spot amongst her friends and Pearl left for her meeting. Ava was pleased she was going to be moving onto a new job, hopefully, one she was good at. Once Pearl had finished her meeting, Ava would follow up with Theo about her new duties during their nightly rendezvous.

The duty she was given when she did meet up with Theo was not one she had even expected to have an opening. She was being made to train as the lookout. Ava was neither here nor there with her opinion on the job going into it. However, by the end of her first shift as lookout, she knew it was not for her. The entire job was looking through a sea glass and waiting for a ship or a piece of land to pass by. She had managed to get told off within her first few hours of training.

"So, you just sit up here all day? Do you ever get burned from the sun?" Ava asked.

"No," Hika, the lookout, said. Ava was familiar with them and they had polite conversations some nights on the lower decks. "I keep covered."

"Ah, I see," Ava conceded, "Do you ever get lonely?"

"No, I enjoy the quiet," Hika said, hoping Ava would get the hint.

Ava tucked her legs to her chest and put her chin on her knees, "Would it be possible to bring a book up here? Like in case I get bored or do we have to look at the water the whole time?"

"You have to be looking to be a lookout, so no. No books," Hika put plainly.

"How do you see at night?"

Hika drew in a sharp breath, "Red, I usually enjoy your presence but if you say another word for the next three hours I will shove you off the crow's nest."

Ava quieted up quickly and was indignantly sulking for the rest of their shift. She didn't say another word even though she really, really wanted to know how they saw at night. It was a valid question and it never got answered. She spent her next two suns being bored out of her mind, silent and burning from the sun. On the third night of being lookout, she rushed into Theo's office.

"Have you heard back on the decision?" Ava blurted out.

"The decision?" Theo questioned.

"If Hika wants to take me on for longer?" Ava elaborated.

"Ah," Theo stood up and put away the book she was reading, Ava noticed it was not in common, "No I haven't heard but last time I spoke to Hika they did not seem to be opposed to bringing you on."

Ava sighed a bit and hesitated a moment before getting the courage to say what was on her mind, "I know this might sound selfish but can I reject a job?"

"Lookout isn't within your skill set?" Theo chuckled, "I wasn't aware it was all that complicated."

"The looking part I am good at," Ava smiled sheepishly, "It's the patience portion of it that proves to be out of the reach of my abilities."

"Then aye, you may pass up if Hika says she'll take you on. We don't want you to be anywhere you don't want to be placed in," Theo reassured Ava.

"So what would my job be tomorrow?"

"To relax," Theo laughed a bit at Ava's eagerness, "We've only got one sun until we get to Clabonne and you have been working for six suns straight. Take the time to regroup and recoup."