The Different Ship
23

Rune had woken up, sitting up slightly she looked around and hissed out in pain. Tilting her head down she spotted bandages plastered across her chest and her breasts where wrapped in a purple silk cloth. A small lantern lit the hut her and Azhar had stayed in.

“Where the hell am I?” she asked out loud before she moved off the bed she was in. A rather large one at that could probably fit a handful of people. The porch she shuffled out to was also darkened and lit by lanterns. A soft breeze blew her hair as she caught sent of a fire; she followed it to see a handful of the crew with other dark skinned women. Some were sitting on their laps or close by them, puzzled at the image in front of her. Why? She didn’t know to be honest. Perhaps all of energy after what had just happened to them, to their ship, yet who was she to judge.

“What the hell is going on and where are we.” She spoke on her own terms in a tone low enough only she could hear. She kept walking out until she met with the image she had been searching for, it was Azhar. He sat by the fire tending to a leg of hog, but his attention caught her causing him to stand up quickly and walked over to her.

“Rune, I was making something to eat. I never expected you to be up this early after all that has happened…” he said, trying to explain himself, cupping her face gently. She let out a small confused grunt and looked around.

“No need to explain but how long have I even been out?” she questioned him before leaning more into her touch. Even though he stayed by her side constantly throughout her healing process, she didn’t know, but what she did know is she missed this. He chortled lightly at her reaction to him and carefully pulled her into his chest.

“Well only a couple of days. You had a rather bad gash and we found this island with these voodoo priestesses. They helped you and healed most of it. Adding on wit that did more than enough; food, shelter, supplies.” He explained as he leaned down to kiss her. She returned it, enjoying the way his lips felt against hers again. Yet, he pulled back from it, but he lifted her and walked more out to the fire.

“Azhar, where is Arab?” she asked looking around, scanning the crew to try and spot him. Azhar tensed as he sat down, looking down at her.

“I didn’t know if you were going to remember… Rune Arab is no longer with us anymore. He sacrificed himself to take Galahad down and they both went overboard.” He spoke, his voice wavering with emotion. Rune’s heart broke hearing such emotion in his voice but also it broke for Arab. She turned to him carefully, swallowing dryly and trying to muster up something to maybe ease his pain.

“Azhar, I… I don’t know what to say…” she spoke in a low tone before he cut her off only to look back out at the sea.

“There is nothing to say Rune, he did his job. I told him not to let them touch the human girl and he saved you. That is all I ask out of him and I am grateful to know that you are still here because of him. I know he is out there no matter where I go. He is somewhere where he loves to be.” He said with a shaky breath. She leaned her head on his chest and hummed quietly, one of her hands coming up to rub it.

“So dis must be da human girl dat shelia fixed up no?” a females voice suddenly rang out behind them. They both turned to see another dark skinned female. Her hair was in long dark brown dreads, beads strewn through it. She was just a little bit shorter than Azhar, she was a very tall and skinnier woman.

“Don’t ya know it is a taboo for a human ta love a supa?” she said looking over them and raising an eyebrow, crossing her arms. Her face was blank with no emotion behind it, her black eyes danced with the fire.

“L…love?...” Rune said before she looked up at Azhar before back at the woman, Azhar’s chest rumbled with a chuckle as he pulled her in closer to his chest.

“I think she accepts the risks Dieya, but she is mine and I don’t think I can do anything without her now.” He told her with a serious tone, Dieya rolled her eyes and tisked at him, shaking her head the beads making small clinking noises.

“Ya know we scratch ya backs and ya owe us a fava now fangs.” She said leaning in slightly with her arms still crossing over her chest.

“We have been through this once no? We made a deal and it is written in blood. You fixed up my ship, my crew, fixed my woman, and gave us supplies. I will do a favor for you.” Azhar sighed out with a nod; she pulled back and gave him a smirk flashing her golden tooth. She looked up at the sky before shifting her eyes back to him.

“Only when I am to call for ya vampire, until then, there will be more struggled for ya and ya woman.” She said then suddenly vanished, her laugh echoing behind her. Rune furrowed her brows and looked at the fire. Red and oranges mixing in harmony, the heat from it warming her skin, in all honesty the feeling was nice.

“Is this all we have left?” she asked him he shook his head with a small relieved sigh. In return she let one out also, her eyes shifting between them all.

“When we found this island we only had about ten, then a few more was still alive… they are on the ship fixing it up you were actually the last to awake.” He said leaning down into her face and meeting her eyes with his own. A smile came over her lips as she ran her hands over his barren chest.

“I swear you never wear a shirt… but… why don’t we stay to recoup a bit more and well maybe get to know each other again?” she said leaning into him more, he smirked and chortled slightly.

“Well when you look as good as I do I don’t think you should have to wear a shirt and Rune… are you sure you are ready for me?” he asked her with a cocky smirk, she shook her head and giggled.

“But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you, I mean I don’t think I am ready any time Azhar… but I love the way you make me feel…” she said to him, he went to respond but a loud falcon squall overhead and a letter dropped in their lap before it disappeared almost into thin air.

“A falcon?” she asked as Azhar picked up the letter with a scowl. He looked at the seal on it and it was from The Other’s Council. He pulled it open and read over it quickly before growling.

“What is it Azhar and who is it from?” she asked him moving to take it he pulled it away.

“It’s the damn Other’s Council and it’s a warrant for my arrest, guess we are going on the run again. The pirate life is for me anyways.” He said shaking his head but a small smirked formed on his lips as he crumpled it and threw it into the fire. It puffed up a cloud of smoke as the fire consumed it, turning the paper to ash.

“Catch me if you can you bastards.” He said as he lifted Rune with ease and headed toward the ship. She wrapped her arms around his neck with a smirk and, turned her head to loud out a loud whistle for the others.

“Hey who wants to play a game of cat and mouse? If you’re a true pirate you will board the ship now if not you are free to stay here!” she said and looking at Azhar as he walked on the ramp and to the deck. The others followed with a smirk on their lips as they dropped sails and raised the anchor before drifting off into the horizon.