Caught in the Fisherman's Bend [Benn Beckman x Fem!Reader]

Routine Disrupted

Booooom

Your body swung gently, secured in a hammock strung up between the two posts that ran right through the middle of the small rectangle that was your room. The loud boom shivered up from the floor and moved through the beams, causing your hammock to rock harder.

You groaned and rolled over, pulling the blankets over your head to hide from the stray beams of sunlight that managed to sneak through the curtains covering the one narrow window.

Booooom

The timber frames rattled. On a small table set in one corner, an empty bottle of antiseptic cream wobbled and then toppled over. The sound of glass rolling over wood grated against your ears, pulling an irritated growl from your lips.

It seemed three hours of sleep would have to do.

You threw the covers off and hopped out of the hammock with a pep that was more instinctual than matching your mood. You usually slept in your clothes; it saved time when you woke with five minutes before your shift, and it saved time now when you were too tired to care.

You stumbled over to a small sink and cabinet set into the wall. Once your face was washed and you confirmed that your feet were almost healed, you moved to the table, picked up the empty bottle, and stuck it into a pocket.

You stretched your arms over your head and let out a satisfied groan, your grumpy sleepiness starting to fall away. In the mirror, a splash of ink peeked briefly out from under the hem of your shirt. You lifted your hand to trace the dark line and your thoughts moved from your tattoo to your treasure. It had been a few days since the carving had been desecrated and nothing more had happened. It seemed whoever the vandal had been was satisfied with their little stunt.

Booooom

You moved over to the window and drew back the curtain. The sun had just crested the peaks of the mountains bordering the Tannery's valley, casting its cold rays on the steaming spits and tanning drums, and cross-hatching the scene with the shadows of the fifty-odd smokestacks. From this height, you could see over the entire Tannery, and to the vast blue sea beyond. And if you squinted hard, you could make out the small irregularity in the hazy grey band of horizon that gave away the presence of Kanta Island, the closest neighbour to your own.

Skinning Island, so named because of the Tannery, was part of the vast and sparsely occupied Siren's Comb Archipelago. The islands that made up Siren's Comb were all dependent on each other for living necessities. Skinning provided the meats and raw leather, the latter of which was then shipped over to Daghara Island to be crafted into tools, clothing, armour, and a variety of other things. Kanta's specialty was growing cotton and weaving. Kuchiro was completely made up of lush farmland. Morrikon Island was full of ore deposits; when the wind blew from the south, you could see the thin plumes of smoke from their refineries.

You scanned the water and picked out at least three ships already on the move. Large freighters were kept on constant loops, travelling up and down Siren's Comb, keeping the flow of goods circulating, making sure the Archipelago could function.

It was a primitive system, based mainly on bartering, but the self-reliance had kept the Archipelago free from outside influences. The tumultuous waters that surrounded the outer edges of Siren's Comb kept most travellers far away. And there were a few other reasons no one ventured into this area of the sea.

Which is why it irked you so much that those pirates were still here. It was a miracle that they'd even made it to Skinning's shores. But they should have discovered how inhospitable most of the island was and moved on by now.

You sighed and turned away from the window.

Booooom

Your steps stayed sure despite the trembling of the building around you. You left your room and made your way down a long flight of rickety stairs. Your journey was marked with the usual creaks and moans of the old wooden boards. The stairs hugged the wall on one side, while the other fell away into a vast empty space.