Dangerous Waters; Chapter 1

by Cj in a place where I can sing my heart out

Dangerous Waters

Chapter 1

            Markelle Armanda stood at the stern of the Lyrical looking gloomily into the waves made by the mighty ship. Longingly, she thought of her old pirate ship, the Maid Song. It actually had cannons that worked; she snickered at the thought of the weapons of this ship. Flicking a lock of her reddish-brown hair over her shoulder, she also thought wistfully about her old crew. Amber eyes laden with sorrow her thoughts drifted to a happier day of her life…

            Captain Marke, as they called her, was up in the riggings, spyglass to her seeing eye, scanning the waters about the beautiful Maid Song. Satisfied that none of the stupid marines were out, she glanced down at her crew. Kale, her first mate was at the helm. His ebony skin glistened in the tropical sun, that beat down upon the so furiously. Looking up, he grinned at the Captain and she waved. Looking over at the starboard side of the ship, the Arab, Sultan, was mending a sail, his coffee skin and black hair giving him an exotic look. Her best friend, Lena of Greece, climbed up and sat beside her. Her blonde hair and blue eyes attracted many suitors, but her left hook scared them all away. Grinning at her, they sat back and enjoyed the Caribbean breeze. Suddenly, the watch, Jason, flipped down and sat behind them on the rigging.

            “Don’t you have a job?” Marke inquired.

            “Yes, but I can do it from here,” he answered in his American accent. His dishwater blonde hair was mussed from the trade winds and his green eye twinkled.

            Satisfied they leaned back. But if she had only looked to the horizon again…

            “Markelle?” Captain Frederic Keller stood at her elbow now. Looking over at him, Marke had to admit, he was sort of handsome. Dark brown hair and eyes, tanned skin from being on the ship and he was fairly well built. “If only he wasn’t part of the marina…” She thought idly.

            “Yes?”

            “The crew has spotted a ship off the fore, and the winds are against us. You need to go below.”

            “Can I help?” The question, she knew, had but one answer.

            “No, the pirates…” He trailed off.

            “Are dangerous?” She finished for him.

            He nodded tersely. Marke’s future husband didn’t want to lose her to piracy, this he had expressed many times. Sighing, she let herself be escorted below, to listen longingly to the fight above.