The Pirate Lass

A/N: Long time no update, I know and I'm sorry for that. However as you can see it's no longer on hiatus and I hope to have it completed here within the week. Hope you enjoy

Chapter 10:

“Captain!” one of the crewmen called just a few seconds later. “We’re ready when ye be!”

Quickly Oliver and Eriana fixed their slightly mussed clothes and rushed out to face the returning crew before they could wonder what they were up to.

Neither could really conceal their annoyance of their moment being interrupted, but knew it was best to hide as much of it as they could.

“Did you get all we need?” Oliver asked.

“We did,” another answered.

“Good,” Eriana said. “Should we set sail now then?”

“We should,” Oliver answered as he turned to her. “Mates, you’ll have a long day ahead of you tomorrow, if you wish you may go to your cabins now.”

“Thank ye, Captain,” one of the men said as they each began to head off to their chambers for the night.

“Why are we taking the night watch?” Eriana asked as she took a seat on the deck near Oliver.

“Turn around.”

She did as she was requested and her breath seemed to leave her almost completely as she took in the sight before her once again. The darkened sky was now illuminated by the seemingly enormous white moon ahead.

It seemed to both of them they could sail straight into it. But despite the beauty of it, neither Oliver nor Eriana could completely keep their eyes off of one another, losing themselves in the sight of the other being lost in their dazes as they looked ahead.

With the crewmen off in their cabins, Eriana and Oliver were truly alone on the deck where all was quiet and it seemed the night almost couldn’t have been more perfect for the two. They could only wish it wouldn’t have to end.

A few of the crewmen began to reappear as the morning sun rose and soon Oliver began to head back to his cabin, but stopped when he realized Eriana wasn’t behind him.

“Eriana?” he asked as he saw her getting closer to her own cabin.

“Captain,” she replied as she turned to him with a soft smile.

“Would you care to stay with me today?”

“Are you alright?”

“I am. I would just like to make sure you are.”

With a smile but without a word, Eriana walked back to Oliver’s side and was soon with him in his chambers once again.

“You can rest easy now,” he told her as they laid down beside one another. “We’re away from that place now and sailing farther from it by the minute.”

Eriana was comforted by his soft words, but wasn’t quite tired enough for bed yet.

Neither was Oliver. “Would you answer something for me?”

“Anything,” she answered as she looked ahead into his dark orbs.

“Why do you feel the need to be held as your corset offers?”

She smiled softly and answered, “I suppose I’m still afraid to be alone. And wearing this helps me feel stronger, prepared, protected.”

“Weren’t you always alone before?”

Eriana nodded. “And I wished just once the moon would never leave my side as I walked home.”

“Could you settle for me?”

“I hardly feel I am settling having you by my side. I just suppose I’ve yet to grow used to the privilege.”

The strong buccaneer only kissed her softly at those words, wanting her to know if it were up to him she would never have to be without him again.

“Which would you prefer,” she began when their kiss ended a moment later, “a pirate lass or a normal woman?”

“You. In any form.”

That quickly earned him another sensual kiss from his lover.

“A pirate or a normal man?” he asked in return.

“I choose you. Just as you choose me,” she answered. When she saw him smile softly, she asked, “Why is it you never had any quarter mistresses before me?”

With a deep breath, he answered, “The legends of pirate lasses such as you have been in existence possibly longer than you have been. I didn’t believe for so long, but knew if you were real then I’d know you in an instant and only then would I have a quarter mistress.”

“But I had been drinking, how could you know then?”

“Rumors of your beauty had spread far and wide across the seas,” he answered with another smile. “Are you alright?” he asked as he noticed her eyes focus downwards.

“I must have quite the reputation then,” she stated sadly.

“No,” he told her soothingly, “quite the opposite, in fact. Most assumed you had no interest in men at all as none had seen you with one.”

“You never saw me as a strumpet?” she asked softly as she looked back to him.

“Never,” he answered honestly. “You’re better than that, and far more beautiful.”

Eriana only smiled softly, but soon had to stifle a yawn as she still hadn’t slept in a day.

Oliver kissed her again as she nuzzled more into his embrace, both feeling her drifting off to sleep as he remained beside her.

It was now Oliver’s turn to watch her sleep, feeling nothing mattered more to him than her. In that instant when she realized she was on Gilder’s Cove he had seen a fear in her dark eyes stronger than when his previous crewman Simms had been holding a dagger to her smooth, pale flesh.

He knew then sleep wouldn’t come to him that night and decided he at least knew he could be there to protect her from her own possible nightmares as she had done for him.

It came time for Oliver to take control of the wheel once again as night fell and Eriana stayed close to him as she took in the view similar to that of the night before. The moon was still just as large as before, the air still as crisp and cold, but somehow refreshing on their skin. Still neither of them were convinced that Ruby wouldn’t sail straight into the enormous white rock, but neither was fearful.

“Where are we sailing to, in the end?” Eriana asked Oliver.

“A place called Reef’s Isle,” he answered.

“Where pirates go to become kings,” she said softly in amazement.

Reef’s Isle was just what Eriana had said. When a pirate had grown so rich that they wished to retire Reef’s Isle was where they would go to do it safely as it was populated entirely by those like themselves.

“But why?” she asked.

“The sea will always be my home in some way,” he replied. “But so much has gone on in the past few years. So many attempts on my life, so much pain for so many now that I can, I feel it’s best for several if I retire now.”

“But you’re so young,” she said, knowing he couldn’t be much more than thirty.

“And yet I’ve acquired more than I could spend in three lifetimes.”

“Which explains the bar maids’ sudden interests,” she replied.

He smiled slightly and as his dark eyes met hers he said, “True, but I’ve never really been one for bar maids.”

“Why are you telling me all of this? Often no pirate will tell his crew of such wealth or retirement.”

“I wish for someone to share this with. This life and all that comes with it, I wish to share it with someone who appreciates it as I do. And I wish for it to be you,” he told her.

“What are you asking me for?” she asked, her heart beating rapidly in wait for his response.

“For your hand, for you to be my wife.”

“You’ve known me for a week, maybe less. How can you assume you know me so well as to ask me that?” She knew he cared for her and that she was steadily falling harder for him, but she couldn’t imagine him asking this so soon.

“Because I see so much in you that I have found in no one else. I’ll understand if your answer is no, I just feel you deserve to know the truth.”

“When you brought me here I thought I was just here for no more than a job aboard the most infamous ship I know of.” She paused when she saw that his eyes had begun to focus downwards, fearful of her answer. “My answer to you could never be no,” she told him with a soft smile.

Oliver couldn’t have been more relieved. He knew then he had truly found what he had been searching so long for in Eriana because though she knew now his truth she hadn’t changed. That she wasn’t saying yes to his fortune or fame, that she cared more for him to tell him her own truth.

“I suppose I’m just not used to those truly caring for me,” Eriana told him.

“How can that be?”

“I could ask you the same. I saw the look in your eyes when I came to you, to wake you from your nightmare. And again when I went to you on the deck after those men tried to kill you. You were as surprised as I am now.”

“I suppose it comes from having been on the sea for so long,” he said, knowing she was right. “What do you imagine your reason is?”

“From having been near the sea for so long. Those like us always seem to have certain things in common. And not having a real family seems to be our common thread. And it’s not often we sail with people we can trust so when we find one we seem to cling to them with everything we have.”

“Is that so wrong?” he asked cautiously.

“Not this time,” she answered with a soft smile. Her smile soon faded though as she asked, “Could you really be sure you would like me for your pirate lass?”

“I am. For days now I’ve known that I can’t be without you. I don’t know why entirely, but I know I need you.”

Before Eriana could stop herself, her truth slipped from her lips as well. “I need you, too, Oliver.” She was beside him now, leaning into his soft kiss. “How many days are we from Reef’s Isle?” she asked as their lips parted.

“It shouldn’t be more than one,” he answered.

“So, in a day we’ll be away from all of this and on Reef’s Isle?” she asked as it continued to sink in.

“If all goes well, yes,” he answered.

Eriana couldn’t be sure why but she didn’t have a feeling of dread about it. She was no longer unsure of this being what she wanted most.

As dawn began to approach a few of the others began to reappear, but rather than head off to Oliver’s chambers as they would have ordinarily they moved to the other side of the ship where they knew they could watch the sunrise alone. They knew this could be their last day to see it from this perspective and wanted no one else to share it with.

The petite brunette rested her head on Oliver’s shoulder as they stayed close to one another. There were no words to describe the beauty of the sight before them. So many vivid colors were filling the sky as the clouds parted and the orange sun continued to rise.

In silence they could only watch as they looked out to the horizon, knowing with each motion of the ship they were that much closer to Reef’s Isle and both were already hoping for it more as the minutes passed.

“One of our final full days at sea,” Oliver began, “and all I can think of doing is sleep.”

“It’s the water, watching it like this is hypnotic and you sailed all last night. It’s no wonder you’re tired now.”

“Would you care to join me?” he asked as he stood and offered her his hand.

She nodded with a soft smile as she let him help her to her feet.

As they laid in his bed beside each other, for once neither of them felt a sense of fear. No longer feeling they had to watch the other to make sure they were safe and protected and no longer felt they couldn’t be as physically close to one another as they wanted to be.

Just after dusk had fallen completely the two awoke to the sound and the feel of the ship stopping for what they knew to be one of the final times.

“It’s time to wake up, Eriana,” Oliver told her softly.

“I slept the day away and yet I feel my dream is only now beginning,” she replied.

“And on Reef’s Isle it never has to end,” he stated with a smile.