A Pirate's Life for Us [2/20, Rowan/Gespard, mid-morning, ship]

[Rowan Shadowmere]

"Yar doing it all wrong, girl," Ben barked, his eyes glancing upward, his thick arms crossed over his chest. He had thought this would be a good idea. Well, having a woman aboard was always a rather bad idea, but as the Captain said it be as such, so it would be. He didn't question Azrael's orders. Sadly, she was rather small, and wasn't good for hauling the ropes and moving stocks. But one look at those small, nimble fingers told Ben that a replacement for their ill rigger had come aboard.

"I don't know what you want me to do," Rowan snapped back, looking down at him, a tall brute of a man. "I did exactly what you said," she spoke, one hand reaching out to a thick rope tied directly to the swinging sail. She had her legs swung over on either side of the mast, leaning back against the main pole. Rowan was not terribly far up, but just enough that Ben couldn't catch her - and the more distance she put between her and the quartermaster, the better.

It was one of the many things she had realized over the past few days, since she set sail with Gespard, leaving shore as his wife and walking the ship as his slave. Knowledge came quickly, such as abandoning her skirts in favor for breeches, and keeping her mouth shut when someone was directly speaking to her. However, some things were harder to grasp - and Ben was hell bent on teaching Rowan the rigging, whether it killed her or not. Already, she had almost fallen twice that day, and it was no small distance between her position and the deck. Part of Rowan wanted to fall and break her neck, give herself a fast way out. But still. She couldn't give Ben the satisfaction.

So the lessons continued.

[Gespard Shadowmere]

Azrael had emerged from his cabin, making his way to the deck and quickly overlooking the crew. Not a single hand was slacking, the Orpheus sailing smoothly over the vast, blue ocean. But now his eyes were looking upward, listening to the exchange between his quartermaster and the newest addition to his crew. He watched with amusement at first, but then approached Ben’s side, looking up at her and saying, “You will not address your superiors with that tone. Come down here, gelfling.”

There were plenty of men on hand to make up for the work she was doing… Or rather, was trying to do, so he waited patiently for her to make her way back down.

“Plant your feet in front of me this instant,” he ordered, gesturing with his finger where he wanted her. “Ben, would you mind telling the swab the punishment for talking back to her quartermaster?”

“Five lashes, captain.”

“You heard him. Bring me the cat-o-nines,” he said with a devious glimmer in his eyes. By now she knew where they were. He’d been sure to show her the moment they’d boarded.

[Rowan Shadowmere]

Rowan was trying once again, untwisting the rope from it's placement, standing once more upon the mast, when she heard his voice. Lately, it just got worse - the sinking in her stomach as she heard Azrael approach, the slight flutter in her heart that made Rowan think it was going to give out soon. She couldn't take much more of it - the adrenaline that rushed her body, accompanied with such fear. Ben was difficult to deal with, but aside from swiping at her a few times, he hadn't entirely made her existence hell. Yet.

She heard him call her that awful alias, one he insisted on referring to Rowan, and she almost jumped, her foot slipping on the mast. But Rowan caught herself, and looked down fearfully from her perch, before scrambling to catch a foot hold to make her way down. As soon as Rowan's feet hit the deck, she moved to stand before him, one hand tucking the stray wisps of hair that escaped her gathered tail behind her ear.

"My apologies, my Lord," she said lightly, her tone easily betraying Rowan's lack of remorse as she nodded to the quartermaster. But she didn't want to get beaten. Gods, the last thing Rowan wanted right now was to be hit. She looked then to Azrael, and tried to mask her fear and contempt.

"Please. It was meant of no offense. I am learning," she said softly, gesturing to the sails up above them. "It's just... Yes. I am learning," she admonished herself. No excuses. Just another reason for him to hit her.

[Gespard Shadowmere]

“Oh Ben… Would you mind terribly if I asked what the punishment was for disobeying a direct order made by the captain?”

Benecio laughed, saying, “Well, it does depend on your mood. Some days, twenty-five lashes. Others, lashing to the mast. And depending on the severity of the offense, keelhauling is always an option.”

Azrael smiled. “Well, fortunately for our little gelfling, I’m in a rather good mood today. So, merely thirty lashes will do.” He stepped closer and grabbed her elbow. “Don’t make me ask you again to fetch me the whip. You have thirty seconds before I add twenty-five more.” He released her and started counting backwards.

[Rowan Shadowmere]

Rowan balked at Azrael's words, thinking of the whip hitting her skin, and Rowan's face drained of color. She spoke without thinking, the surge of fear opening her mouth when it shouldn't have.

"Do your worst, for I'd rather die of the lashing than let you touch me again," she spat, and even as the words slipped from Rowan's mouth, her eyes grew wide, realizing what she had said. Still, she remained standing, feeling herself shake, Rowan's hands balled into fists at her side. She took a half-step back, partially expecting him to slap her once more. Already, half of Rowan's pretty face was spattered with bruising.

[Gespard Shadowmere]

Azrael had no intention of whipping her. It was merely a device to tease and frighten her. But that changed now. His glimmering eyes lit with fury. He did not slap her. He pounded the side of her head, hitting her ear with his closed hand. “My worst? Very well! You shall have it.” Grabbing her by her hair, he dragged her to the side of the ship, reaching for rope to lash around her wrist securely. Without warning, he shoved her over the side, his gloved hand gripping the rope to catch her before she could hit the waves. It would be easy to release her… all too easy… But then, he could very well stand her all day, too. She was not so heavy. “Some tea, Ben… I have a feeling I’ll be here for a while.”

[Rowan Shadowmere]

Rowan shrieked as he grabbed her by the hair, but this treatment was no different from the days prior - rather, it was the feeling of his hands on her waist as Azrael shoved her over the side that brought forth a whole new level of terror from her, as Rowan tried to grab onto the side of the ship as she felt herself plummeting. She could not catch hold to anything, his movements too quick, and Rowan thought for sure she would be immediately submerged in the sea. But Azrael's mind was cruel and instead of falling into the ocean, Rowan was caught, sharply, by the return tug of the rope fastened to her wrist, and as the rope went taught it pulled on her arm, and before she could reach up and catch herself, Rowan heard the distinct pop of her shoulder and she screamed as pain ripped through her body.

Tears blurring her vision, Rowan reached up and grabbed the rope with her other hand, trying to hold on, rather than tear her arm completely off. Her heart was thumping wildly in her ears, and her senses seemed sharpened, but Rowan didn't know what to do.

"Stop, stop, please stop," she cried out, struggling.

[Gespard Shadowmere]

“You know… if I’m to teach her the ropes… I’d like very much for her to have two arms, Captain,” Ben joked.

“Oh, she only needs one of them. Look how well Lefty works the sails, and he’s got a hook for a hand.”

“Well, then there’s the issue of her dying if she loses that arm. It’s hard getting corpses to do work for you… And that’s assuming we can even salvage her body from the ocean.”

Azrael frowned. “Aye, that would be an issue, wouldn’t it?” He looked down over the side at her. “I think she’s learned her lesson. Clearly she didn’t mean it when she told me to do my worst.”

Ben nodded. “Imagine how she’d react if you’d actually done your worst. At any rate, should I go get the Ten?”

“Yeah, probably. She’ll need her arm looked at.” Slowly, he started to pull the rope up, reaching for the back of her shirt to hoist her over the side and deposit her on the deck. “Did you enjoy the view?” he asked.

[Rowan Shadowmere]

As he tugged her upward, Rowan's eyes swam, and she felt nauseous. It was only when he hoisted her back over the side that she had some respite from the burn of the rope on her wrist, but instead Rowan was met with the blinding pain from her shoulder. She tumbled into a heap on the other side of the gunwale, and Rowan tasted copper in her mouth, realizing she'd bitten almost through her lip from the pain of it.

She was gasping for breath, the tears still streaming down her face, when Azrael spoke to her again. She didn't look at him - she couldn't. Rowan wanted to spit in his face, to curse at him. But more than that, she wished he had just let her fall over the side and be taken by Mhare.

Rowan did not respond to him. What was the point? Her head was swimming now, and she couldn't hold herself up. She felt rather faint...

[Gespard Shadowmere]

“What in the blue hells happened here!?” Ten asked, running up to them from below deck.

“Domestic dispute?” Azrael offered, moving aside to give the ship’s doctor room to get to her. “She’s having some trouble settling into marriage. Has a tendency to say some hurtful things.”

“So you try to rip her arm off?”

“Isn’t that how everybody does it?” he asked innocently.

“Clearly, this is only his first marriage,” Ben said, chuckling again.

“You can fix her right up, Tennyson. I have faith in you.”

Ten knelt in front of Rowan, offering her a pearly, white smile. He was clearly not like the rest of the ilk that inhabited the rest of the crew. His was actually a fascinating story, and how he came to be on the ship only made sense to those involved. But this former native of Svavel now called the Orpheus his home, and Millard Tennyson had been serving as she ship’s doctor for two years now. “It’s all right. I’ll have you right as rain.”

“Do be quick about it. She’s got work to do,” Azrael said.

Ten rolled his eyes and removed his glove. “Bite down, love.” Setting his hands on her shoulder, he started to count to three, but before reaching the final number, he popped her shoulder back into place. “Did you want me to see to the blood as well?” he said, looking down at where the rope and rubbed her skin raw.

“Just wrap it. So long as it doesn’t get in the way of her work, it’ll be fine,” Azrael said.

[Rowan Shadowmere]

Rowan blinked and there before her knelt the ship's roughshod doctor, if one could call him that, with whom Rowan had become rapidly acquainted with these first few days. And the way things were going, she had a sinking feeling she'd spent alot more time seeing this man's face... if Azrael didn't kill her first. She said nothing as he spoke to her, sitting up so he could press his hands to her shoulder. Instead, Rowan placed her good hand over her eyes, wincing, and she cried out when he popped it back into place.

And although terrible as it was, remaining conscious amongst the pain was something Rowan was becoming terribly good at, and while Tennyson made a temporary bandage around the raw bleeding rope burns of her wrist, Rowan sat quietly, the tears still streaming down her face, as she bit down gently on the side of her hand, trying to temper the flowering pain that was bursting throughout her arm.

When he was done, Rowan nodded her thanks, unable to find her tongue. Could it be considered kindness when it was his job? She gave Tennyson a weak smile and he offered her a hand, helping her get up off the deck. It was upon shaky feet that Rowan stood, and with her eyes downcast, she could feel Azrael's eyes upon her.

[Gespard Shadowmere]

He walked up to her, turning her to face him and forcing her eyes to look into his. “You have brought this pain upon yourself. You make me treat you this way.” His voice had a different quality to it. A warning in some ways, but a curse as well, as if he hated that he had to make her suffer. But surely, it was not that. He was Captain Azrael, a ruthless pirate, a heartless killer, a man not known for mercy or kindness. “You need no reminding that the life you knew is behind you… but your tone and your tongue has yet to catch up. I told you once, I told you a thousand times, Benecio is your master here and you will listen to him. No commentary, no argument is needed. And if you ever defy me again, Rowan, I will be sure to introduce you to a fate worse than death. And if you doubt my imagination, just keep pushing me.”

He stepped back and looked at the mast. “Back up. Now.”

[Rowan Shadowmere]

As he forced her to look at him, Rowan watched Azrael's cold, bottomless eyes take a hold of her. He spoke, his tone hushed but stern, and all the while Rowan's eyes ran, dripping down her face as she remained silent. A fate worse than death? Rowan felt as though she were already living it. Now, death, the crone's icy grip, would surely be paradise as opposed to this daily madness.

But Rowan would never, could never, say any of these things. Instead, she just nodded, her neck stiff. "Yes, Captain," she said softly, tearing her eyes away from him, looking once more to the floorboards. Azrael stepped away from her, and Rowan closed her eyes momentarily, as he commanded she return to her former place.

With weak steps Rowan made her way quickly back to the mast, and began to climb, gritting her teeth, biting deeper into her lip as with each movement she wanted to scream, the pain from her shoulder becoming so excruciating that Rowan thought she might just faint halfway up. But she reached her former spot, and once she was sitting again on the mast, Rowan felt with her good hand her shoulder, wincing, the skin tender to the touch.

Glancing down, she saw Ben standing below her once more, a smug look on his face. "Quartermaster," Rowan called down, her voice weak. She tried to sound as reverent as Azrael wanted her to. "I'm ready. What would you have me do differently this time?" She didn't really care. Rowan partially hoped she fell this time. Something short and quick. Because what was the point, really?

[Gespard Shadowmere]

Ben shouted his orders, but Azrael was only half listening at this point. While his wife was providing amusement enough, he did have his own job to do, and his observations of the crew’s tasks were not limited merely to her. Clapping Benecio on the shoulder, he walked away, up to the helm where James stood, watching with mixed interest.

“She’s likely to get herself killed her, you know.”

Azrael shook his head. “If that were the case, she’d be dead by now. She’s got strength, yet. I can see it in her eyes.”

“Well, of course, I meant that she’s likely to get you to kill her. I still do not understand why you married the wench, Azrael. It is clear she does nothing but loathe you. I can see it in her eyes,” he added with a smile.

“My consideration of her feelings only goes so far. When have you known be to concern myself with the feelings of others. All I know is right now, she is who I desire. Maybe tomorrow it will not be so, but until that time comes, she is mine and she will continue to be mine. Marriage was the only way to make it legal considering her position in this world. I will let Lazarus sort the rest, but I did my part.” He looked back up at her and smirked.