The beast of pirates bay

Chapter 6

Rosa lowered herself and landed in the sand with a plop. The island itself was beautiful, the vegetation bright, thick and green, the animals were lively and gracious. She would have lived here any day.

" Alright, you men stay here and watch the ship. We are heading out."
" Aye, aye, captain." Nathan nodded while watching Russell, Eduardo and Christopher lowering themselves onto the beach.

Rosa had remembered what her mother had told her. She knew that she would sail to the island one day, it was obvious. The island is much like the sea. Respect her and she will help you. What you will search for lays above the moon and below the sun. Rosa never had the chance to ask her mother what she meant by it being above the moon and below the sun but she planned to figure it out.

" Are you ready Rosa?" Morgan asked. She gave a nod and they all headed out.

" Eduardo are you sure you know where you are going?" Russell asked as they continued to weave their way in and out of the forest.

" How they hell do I know where to go! I aint got nothing to find!"

Rosa whacked the vines of the trees with her cutlass and paused to wipe the sweat from her forehead. They had been walking for hours and the humidity was adding up. They all began to grow irritable, especially Eduardo since his hair began to grow curly.

" It's like a damn maze in this forest!"

Rosa sheathed her cutlass and began to hoist herself up into the canopies of the trees. Making sure she was secure, she peered out over the leaves and searched for the ship. The sun was setting, there was no way they would make it back to the ship in time. They were stuck out in the wilderness.

" We should make a camp and rest for the night. There is a small lagoon not too far from here, just a little northeast. We can rest and get some water and sleep then head back to the ship in the morning." She said began to lower herself from the branches.

All the men looked at each other, the anger and tiredness heavy in their eyes. Slowly they agreed and began to follow her lead. Rosa wasn't sure how she found it, but she did. She waited, listened and followed. Her mother was right, the island did help her.

While the men took the advantage of bathing in the water Rosa began to set up a fire. Once she managed a spark she cupped her hands around it and gave a gentle blow. Slowly the flames began to grow and she huddled around the heat. Luckily Christopher had brought a pack filled with food, including meats, bread and some alcohol. Once they all had cleaned off they would gladly eat.

Once the men returned Rosa stood and walked past the bushes. It was far enough for them to hear her but not see her. The lagoon itself was breathtaking. Off to the left, a small waterfall the flowed into the lagoon. The water was clear and clean and most importantly, it was water.

One by one she began to remove her clothes, her hair draping down her back and her arms covering her body. She stepped up to the bay and dipped her foot. Instantly a shiver crawled up her spine. It was intensely cold but she would have to make do. Somehow she slowly managed to make her way into the water and dunk her head. The dirt began to strip free of her skin and the oil disappeared from her hair. On the ship her showers were limited but now she could take all the time in the world.

Meanwhile Russell stood and began to make his way to go check up on her. The men had grown hungry and he didn't want her to miss out on any of the food. He called out her name with his eyes covered but he received no answer. He called out again but no answer. Slowly he peeked through his fingers in search of her. At first his heart skipped a beat in worry but then he turned and spotted her under the waterfall. In the dark he could only make out her figure but even at that he felt himself blush. There was no denying his feelings for her that much was obvious, but he felt as if he were in an old tale. He the lost pirate and she the beautiful mermaid bathing under the fall. Not only just in this moment but just in general. Russell covered his eyes again and blindly stepped closer towards her before clearing his throat and speaking again.
" The men are hungry and we won't eat without you."
He couldn't tell if she jumped and nearly hit him in embarrassment but he was sure it was a little bit of both.