The Belladonna

Chapter 16

True to his word, Thomas was next to her when she woke. He was also still asleep. Sky rubbed the sleep form her eyes and sat up forgetting she was suspended above the floor. Just as she had last night Sky fell out of her hammock and hit the ground with a dull thud.

She winced hoping none of the sleeping pirates woke and pushed herself off the ground. This better not be how I start every day. She threw on another shirt to keep her warm and went up to the main deck.

The sun was only just waking itself as it sent rays across the sleeping sky. There were barely any people on the main deck. Sky saw that two men sitting near the bow. One she recognised as the ship's doctor, Bates. He smiled to her as a way of greeting and went back to his conversation with the other man. Turning her gaze to the poop deck she saw that the captain of the ship was already roused.

He was a rather magnificent sight to behold; his long coat flapping behind him and his hat low over his eyes covering his face in shadows. The rays of light were positioned perfectly behind him as it they were coming from him. He looked down at her and Sky watched him tip his hat as if she was some lady. She tried to hide her smile as she made her way up to him.

"Morning," She said standing next to him.

"How far are we?" Sky frowned confused.

"What?" He smiled not facing her.

"Fane is asleep and you can read the stars." He said, "How far are we?"

Sky looked up and saw only a few stars left. She looked for a constellations she knew finding what her father had called the cradle. It was a square looking thing with longer sides that extended down past the rest of the shape like legs of a cradle; hence the name. It lay over the top of mainland.

"We have a lot of distance to cover," Sky told him, "But we need to head more in that direction." She pointed to the starboard side. Dustin grinned at her; it was his cat smile and Sky realised she had just been played.

"Just checking you can do what you say." Sky wanted to scowl at him but found herself smiling instead.

"Well, you do really need to head more that way," She told him. He smiled at her and she was taken aback. It was a genuine smile; real and wonderful. She felt the blood rush to her face and tried to change the mood. "Anything else you want to test?" She asked feeling awkward.

"There are quite a few things I want to test." Sky's eyes widened when she understood his meaning.

"Not that!" She told him faking confidence. He smiled at her even more making her feel uncomfortable. "Anything other than my body?" She met his gaze steadily despite how hot she felt.

"Actually, yes." He looked away from her, "You can't fight with a sword can you?" When Sky shook her head thankful for the subject change he frowned. "Didn't you have one on the Brig?"

The memory came to Sky against her will. She remembered being on her front covered in blood, her hand on the hilt of her sword, a foot on the blade. His foot. "I didn't know how to use it. Not properly." Dustin nodded in understanding. A thought came to her. "Are you going to teach me?"

"That's the plan." He said. A giddy feeling overcame Sky. She hadn't been able to learn on the Brig and now he was offering to teach her.

"When do we start?" She asked excited. Dustin grinned over to her.

"Calm down Sweetheart. You're not even going to touch a sword today." He told her and Sky frowned.

How am I meant to learn if I can't even use it? As if guessing her thoughts Dustin turned to her leaning against the wheel.