The Seventh Voyage

Chapter 7 Mercy

"Cap'n, we got somethin' nasty up ahead!" Yeo Wol's second mate reported that morning.

Brows furrowed, Yeo Wol wasted no time in grabbing the binoculars hanging by the helm. It didn't take her long to hoist herself up the mast and scan the horizon for the threat. And sure enough, she spotted it; a dark shape – a blemish on the otherwise pristine blue waters – with its billowing crimson sails coming closer to them with every passing second.

Her lips pressed into a grim line instantly as she lowered the binoculars and slid down the mast swiftly.

"Prepare to fight!" Her voice, though calm, held a steely edge that commanded her ship into action effortlessly.

A chorus of gruff affirmations rose from the deck as her crew scrambled to their stations, the organised chaos of preparation momentarily replacing the lazy rhythm of their morning.

And in the middle of the chaos was Yeo Wol barking out her orders with Jeongjo hot at her tail.

"So...what are we up against? Merchants? The Navy?" Jeongjo followed her with excitement shining in his eyes.

It has been too long since he fought anyone and there was simply so much fight in him just waiting to be unleashed.

However, it would seem that Yeo Wol had no plans to entertain him, for she chose to ignore his questions as she surveyed her crew.

"What's the plan?" Jeongjo tried again, only to be sorely ignored as Yeo Wol shouted another list of instructions to her pirates.

"Prime those cannons."

"Yeo Wol..."

"Nets over the sides!"

"Yeo Wol?"

"Steady the ship."

"Yeo Wol, how can I help?" Jeongjo threw his hands up in mild exasperation, almost half-shouting at her after being ignored for the past few minutes.

That did it for Yeo Wol. She felt the vein in her temple pop as she spun around abruptly, her eyes spitting fire and her jaw clenched.

"You should stay put and let us handle it." Yeo Wol seethed.

If looks could kill, Jeongjo would be as dead as a rat right now.

Now, that look in the southern captain's eyes was usually enough to send shivers down the spines of even her most seasoned mates. Most in Jeongjo's situation would usually choose to stand down. But Yeo Wol ought to know by now that she has finally met her match.

And Jeongjo was certainly unfazed by her anger as he spoke evenly, trying to get Yeo Wol to see things from his perspective.

"I can be of help. You know I'm good at combat." He reasoned.

"No matter how good you are, you will only become everyone's liability with that injury of yours." Yeo Wol spat. "Stand down, Jeongjo. That's an or-"

"Watch out!"

Yeo Wol never got to finish her sentence as the sharp whistle of an arrow sliced through the air. Before Yeo Wol could even react, Jeongjo lunged. With one hard shove, he tackled her to the ground just as the arrow thwacked harmlessly into the mast behind them.

They landed in a tangle of limbs, Yeo Wol staring up at Jeongjo with a mixture of shock and a feeling long forgotten. But for what she couldn't explain, her heart could, for the minute he pulled her towards him, it began to flutter involuntarily. Now, it hammered uncomfortably against her ribs, mocking her burgeoning feelings for the man whose lips were only a mere inch away from hers.