The Belladonna

Chapter 41

Hello Maties! This is a short chapter but I feel it is rather important. Hope you enjoy, leave a comment at the end if you liked it... or didn't. Up to you. Anyway here it is, Thanks for reading as always. LittleSparrow

Sky sat at on the railing that over looked the main deck and watched the crew of the Belladonna spin around one and other their cheeks red with rum despite the cold and their happy singing slurred but still, surprisingly, in tune. It was fast approaching midnight and every star was out, blinking down on the partying pirates.

There was little wind and the waves were still, the cold air that hugged them created a thin layer of mist over the water. The Belladonna pushed through the water as fast as she was able, but it still felt slow to Sky. She wanted to go down and join them men, perhaps even sing for she too wanted to share in their happiness, but Dustin's words hung heavily over her head and she could not make herself move to join the crew.

Dustin was close to her. He had said nothing since his speck and his eerie silence was unsettling to Sky, but she did not dare talk to him in fear he would send her away. For through she did want to be down on the main deck with the rest of the men something inside her did not want to be singing and dancing unless she could be dancing with him.

Thomas' loud laughter filled the ship as one of the men ran face first into the main mast then proceeded to fall over backwards. Every pirate on the ship was celebrating with the expectations of a few; Fane refused to come down from the top deck high above them and preferred to keep an eye out after Sky had showed him up in spotting the schooner before he. Jenkins too, wasn't present as he had been denied the right off by Thomas who told him to stay to his post.

And Dustin. The captain, despite his words of celebration and enthusiasm for music and dancing, had not moved from the wheel. Not even when the food had come out. Stale bread and dried salted meat was not a feast by any standard, but it was more than Sky had eaten since they set out. She had gone down to get two pieces of bread, one for herself and one for Dustin since he didn't seem like he was going to get one. But when Sky had offered it to him he had refused her with a shake of his head. So Sky had eaten both.

Now the second keg of rum was dwindling into nothing, the partying was really happening. The pirates had stopped drinking and were dancing jumpy jigs and clapping along to the fast paced music too drunk to realise how ridiculous they looked. Sky laughed at them despite herself.

She leaned back letting her legs dangle and moved her head to the music but stopped when she saw Dustin watching her intently. Sky straightened up and swung her legs over the railing so she was facing the captain and her feet where on the poop deck below her.

"You seem happy." His voice was quiet and sounded wrong somehow so Sky pushed herself off the railing.

She watched him carefully no moving an inch. His shoulders were tense and the gold in his eyes hazy like the fog on the water all around them.

"Do you really think we will all die?" She asked coming to stand less than a foot from him. Sky saw his hand twitch as if he wanted to reach out to her and Sky felt her heart sink when he did not. She remembered that earlier he had seemed confident, even excited, with the prospect of taking down the King.

"Do you really believe we can do otherwise?" He asked her and Sky heard something she had not expected to hear from the pirate; fear.

"You mustn't think like that," She told him closing the distance between them so that there was only a sliver of air separating their bodies. "You set out with a goal Dustin. How can you give up on that now that you are so close?"

Below them the pirates cheered loudly as some of the men fell in their drunken states. They danced and sang with merit and happiness. However, neither Sky nor Dustin seemed to notice the rowdy crew.