A scream.
Heart-breaking moans tore through the silence of the night.
I opened my eyelids wide and immediately sat up, feeling the beating of my heart accelerate. Athena jumped up, disturbed by my sudden movements.
There was another groan, a prolonged sound filled with suffering. It came from Arenis' room.
I quickly lit a candle and darted towards the door. "Captain?" I called, approaching.
Arenis was lying on the bed. The light from the candle I held in my hands made the tears glisten on her cheeks. She was sobbing softly. At first, I thought she was feeling ill, but when I noticed that her eyes were closed and she was stirring in her sleep, I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Captain, wake up. It's just a nightmare."
I laid a hand on her shoulder and shook her gently, but she did not arouse herself; on the contrary, she sobbed loudly, again and again, as if the dream held her fast.
"Open your eyes, come on."
I shook her again, this time using more strength, and Arenis finally woke up. She placed her gaze in mine, bewildered and confused. Tears still welled up in her eyes, even though the dream was over.
"Are you all right?" I asked, concerned. "Are you alert?"
"Yes, yes..."
"Wait, I think I have a handkerchief in my pocket... There, it's clean."
She grabbed it with hesitant hands and wiped her wet face quickly. Finally, she sat down, obviously embarrassed by the situation.
"Did I wake you?" she asked, her tone a little dim.
"Hmm. It must have been a really terrible dream, if you screamed like that."
She looked away from me, as if burned. For the first time, I saw her vulnerable. I swallowed, not quite sure how to act in front of such a fragile Arenis. "I'll get you some water."
When I returned with the glass, she reached out a hand to grab it and I noticed that her fingers were trembling slightly.
"Captain, are you cold?" I asked, only to immediately realize that no, she wasn't cold; Arenis was afraid.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me."
Arenis brought the glass to her lips and took large gulps, finishing the glass in moments.
"You want more?"
"No."
"Do you need anything else?"
"I thank you for your thoughtfulness, Miss Adler, but I'm all right, really. You may go back to sleep."
"Oh," I replied, tightening my lips. "Yeah, sure..."
I grabbed the candle I'd placed on the nightstand and took a few steps backwards, letting the darkness gradually fall over Arenis.
"Are you sure you don't want me to bring you anything else?"
"Good night, Miss Adler."
"...good night."
The next day we didn't talk about what had happened that night. Arenis seemed to be back to her old self and I couldn't help but wonder what dark demons haunted her at night. No one knew anything about her past, no one even knew what her real name was. 'Arenis' was just a well-constructed character. Indomitable, bold, strong, unmatched. She only showed what she wanted others to see. No weaknesses, no imperfections, no flaws. My presence last night had bothered her. Showing weakness before me, before her crew, had never been an option for her. That mask she had so carefully created, she wore it in front of everyone, without exception.
When we arrived in Nassau we stayed for a few days. I made sure that the three girls were properly accommodated; for all three were very good at sewing, they had been employed by an old seamstress. The others scattered here and there. Some embarked on pirate ships, others began to work in the port or hired to build roads and buildings. Arenis wasn't completely satisfied with that solution and I asked her why.
"All they want is to go home. None of them will be happy here."
"Not necessarily. Maybe they'll find something to be happy about."