Nautilus

Chapter 12-Bond

“Why are you doing this?”

Her hand started to make wider strokes as Selene thought of a fitting response to his question. She could not fully tell him why for doing so would put them all in danger, but a little information would not hurt. “I care for you.”

Davy’s eyes closed. She cared for him. Never had Calypso uttered words so tender to him. Rather, she promised him the world and never devoted herself to it. He let out a heavy breath of air and tucked the thoughts away. His heart felt calm being close to her.

And with that settled, his mind felt less heavy.

The hand slowed down its pace and stopped altogether. He felt a feeling of dread passed through him and he opened his eyes in surprise. That had not come from him. The warm hand left his person and the peaceful feeling started to squander. Angry, he tossed out the claw and latched it onto Selene’s waist. He tugged hard on her and forced her to sit on the organ bench, not once did he loosen his hold.

“Woman, ye are not going anywhere soon so do not even try to test me”

Selene’s heart raced wildly in her chest. Both stared at each other, one in puzzlement and the other in anger. Davy raised his head a bit and squinted. “I did not say you had my permission to leave-uh.” He pulled her closer right until her leg touched his own. Satisfied, he let her go, but kept the claw between her and a fast exit if she tried to escape.

“You are as hard as a bird to keep caged.”

Selene eyes darted between the claw and his face as he challenged her to make her escape. She gave him a smile. “Play for me.”

His hard faced look melted into a dazed state. “Play for you?”

In the mood to tease him back, she placed one small hand on his chest. “Yes, play the music for me.”

He shivered and blinked a few times. He gave one last cautious look to her, and then went to play. He kept the claw pressed against her, but used the tentacles and right hand to play a strong, familiar melody.

Selene raised an eyebrow at the familiar tune. “Do you know any others?”

Davy stopped the tune and furrowed his brows. “Of course I know ‘other’ pieces of music! Keep your trap shut and let me play.”

“Seeing the crew is soundly asleep, why not keeping them that way? You should feel bad for playing that music constantly for decades. They need some variation.”

“Fine then, I will give ye your ‘new tune’.” He had to think for a minute as he tried to pick a piece he knew well enough so she would not heckle him anymore. She did not heckle him, just he wanted more so to enjoy her, and her conversing distracted him.

He started out with a strong pounding on the keys. The tentacles moved as he played a piece akin to a tempest, waves lolling and crashing together. Notes swirled between highs and lows, sharp and short notes, and never any pauses. It left him in the end wanting more and he let out a sharp breath, irritated at his lack of fulfillment.

Selene sensed his irritation. “Why not play a calmer tune?”

Davy's lips popped. “Such as ...?”

“There is a beautiful song from your home country called “ Loch Lomond”. Play that one.”

The Captain gave Selene a knowing glance. How much did she know about him? He tucked that question away, making sure to ask her that one later.

“It is a beautiful song, is it not?”

Davy nodded and began to play the melody. The soft clicking of the keys was a joyful change to the usual dank mood set before it with the usual temp. This flowed much smoother, more naturally. Before he knew it, the song had ended. Surprised, he turned to Selene who had a knowing look to her. “Let me just say it was in your heart.”

The rest of the night passed with moments just like that one. Davy felt lighter somehow with Selene and they exchanged questions back and forth, as if the world had disappeared and left the two behind. He asked questions not only of her, but her opinion, although limited, of his various adventures and battles. One that also stayed with him was when he described his latest run-in, one with a certain Captain Jack Sparrow. He made it no note to spit out the name, as if the set of words burned his tongue. How foul that man was!

And Selene listened on eagerly, not hiding her humor when her Captain even took the chance to wave his arm in motion at the ‘pirate’. How pleased he was to have captured the rascal man and him now down in the Locker. At the mention of the word Locker, Selene’s humor had quieted down, clearly not liking neither the word nor the meaning of it, but her Captain, so involved with his story, paid no attention when she quieted. He simply thought she was an engrossed into the tale as he was.

Dawn had come and gone when he quieted down, tentacles flicked lazily now and then as the night finally finished and hardly a wink of sleep.

Finally, he realized as much to his chagrin, that he had enjoyed the evening, but good never stayed long, if ever, aboard the Dutchman. He needed to be above deck, and to give orders for the new day.

Davy removed himself from the bench and reached for his hat.

Head bowed low, Selene retreated from the organ and made her way to the door something grabbed her by the hand. The tentacled hand pulled her around and she faced her captor.

“Yes?”

Davy appeared hesitant for a moment, but as Selene stroked the hand that contained her, his guard went up once more. His lips thinned. “I want you to stay on the ship. No more off on your own. I want the heart protected.”

Davy removed his hand and made his way out of the cabin and made no more try to talk to her.

As he took charge of the ship, Selene tried to find Bill.

The day passed as any other had done when she was aboard. She stayed out of the gaze of the many males who had by now ignored her or the brave and even went so far sneer at her, although unwise as it was. She stayed near Bill as he swabbed the deck and kept her far from the black stain she had caused earlier.

He did his best to explain the ways of the ship, pleased to know she was the cause returning the heart. His own heartd by her presence, as if she healed all the wounds the twenty years on board the Dutchman. He did not feel comfortable yet asking her some questions of herself though she seemed happy to listen to his own. Before they both knew it the day had passed with no difficulty, and no shipwrecks.

With nothing much more to do and most all work done, a game of liar’s dice was in order. As the sun set on the water, the crew had started to gather near the middle of the ship. The Captain had made his way to his cabin, with not so much as a word.

Interested in how that game played out, Selene stayed nearby, with Bill. She looked on with a curious gaze as the game began, the players already making bets and wages on years of service. This went on for a bit as the players took turns with their dealings. The parts between she paid attention to were the actions themselves and not the years of service.

As the one the last games started to occur, some of the crew had started to stare at the angel, weary of her presence and continuing presence.

One of the crew, drunk on winning, eyed the angel and grinned devilishly. The one known as Jimmylegs, tigger happy bo’sun had an idea to see what they were up against. No one, not even the first mate knew what extent her power was on what had occurred between her and their Captain. Why not put it, or rather her, to the test?

“Well, well, look what we have here: a lowly swab and a feathered harlot. Did you come down just to preen yer feathers?” Some brave souls snickered with the fetished mate, but most either crept into the shadows and stayed faraway from her. Bill placed on comforting hand on her arm, seriously thinking of tugging her away from the scene and not wanting to worry about them; he did not worry about her.

Jimmy did not miss the secret and it edged him even more forwards. “Wench, how did it feel as you drifted in the water, burned to a crisp?” He leaned forward, just a tad. “I bet ye are crying over it, just like a baby bird that fell out of the nest and cannot find its way back.” Another laugh erupted from him.

Selene, by this point, had remained quiet. She gave no hints, no outward sign that she had experienced neither having her feathers rustled nor even insulted by the man’s slur. She appeared calm, to some eerily calm.

“Is that what you think then? That I am just some lowly bird?”

Her answer came in the form of a wider grin. “Then what am I to do then to gain your favor?” She removed Bill’s hand from her arm.

Jimmy grabbed a nearby liquor bottle and nearly downed it all, not wanting to release his answer. One sloppy swipe at his jowls from excess liquid, he stared right at the angel and held up the bottle. “Ye think this is a sin, aye? That it is a foul drink for a foul man.” He lifted the bottle up higher. “I say ye could not handle one sip of this drink. Aye and I be willing to wager a lot to even see ye try to stomach this.”


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End of Chapter 11