Juliet of Dundee

'Ello

Juliet of Dundee Chpt. 10

Pater

As my father left our presence I tried to recall the last time he had called me son. I searched the furthest corners of my mind, but I couldn't manage to remember. Why was it that he had even done that? Was it that the men were not here?

I took a few slow steps back from the direction of my father. I stood there for a few moments, just thinking.

My thoughts were thrown off a bit when I heard a sound behind me. I turned to face Emmie who clearly had made the sound, a beautiful sound; the sound of a bow on the strings of a beautiful instrument. She moved the bow and shut her eyes, listening to the sweet melody that vibrated off the strings. The Nameless Sailor Ditty again.

A chill tingled down my spine as I shut my eyes and listened to her play. She didn't even appear to be trying, and by the sound and looks of it she was a far better player than I. She had more of a Celtic twist on it though, with a few grace notes here and there, lots of long, slow vibrato.

Beautiful.

It was all I could think. I opened my eyes to look at her again. She was slowly moving to the music now, moving this way and that, taking steps around her. Her hair danced behind her as she moved, the gentle breeze blowing it around as well.

How was it that someone as wild as she be so simple at the same time? But so quiet and mysterious? So. . .

Beautiful.

I violently shook the thought from my mind. No. She wasn't to be trusted. This whole fiddle, violin thing was an act! She was trying to take advantage of me again.

She'll see! I fool her just as she tried me. . .

Just as I thought this the song ended and Emmie set the instrument under her arm in rest position. She gave a heavy sigh and looked out to the deep, dark ocean.

I was officially baffled. Some legend she turned out to be. Legends were usually named as such due to their savage-like behavior. Dehumanized and unmerciful. But she was nothing of the sort. She was mischievous, no doubt, and good with a sword. But someone such as herself certainly could not be a legend.

Emmie half laughed at me, a small grin on her face in response to my expression. What was it that was going on between us? All I knew was that whoever she was, I respected her completely. To have become a legend but staying ladylike all the same - I was jealous. Jealous because in even with all my efforts to avoid savage-like behavior, I still had my tendencies. She's been a pirate for sometime (at least her skills said so) and she hadn't changed like I had.

How did I change, you ask? There had been a time when I was young and polite. A good Englishman, an honorable one, and was on my way to becoming a wonderful gentlemen. I'd been in my mid-teens, but the girls had already started to love me.

But that was when my world changed.

I followed as Emmie made her way to the railing after setting down the instrument. I leaned my hands against it like she did only to accidentally touch her fingers with mine. Heat flashed through my body and I was glad when she pretended not to notice, though there was a slight change of coloration in her cheeks.

"You play well." The words escaped me before I could even think. Emmie turned to look at me, a mischevious and confused smirk pasted on her lips, an eyebrow raised. Something about that face made my heart skip a beat. What was happening to me? "Where'd you learn?"

Why couldn't I just shut up?

Emmie took two long strides towards me, "I'll tell you." She sat down next to me. "I taught meself. Let's just say me had some extra time on me hands as a child."

I gave a slight nod. I propped up my knees and gazed up at the stars.

"Where'd you learn?" Emmie's voice spoke out in the darkness.

"How-how'd you know?" I whispered. Emmie smiled as she took hold of my hand and pointed to the imprints of the lard strings on my fingers. I gave a nervous laugh and shook my head at her. She was good.

"I taught myself," I admitted. I half smiled up at her. Her face was blank, she seemed almost shocked that we were even holding a normal conversation rather than our usual banter and quips.

Silence followed. Maybe she'd returned to her natural senses. How was it that we were battling earlier over an attempt at an escape and the next she was at the very least pretending to care about the scars on my back? Just then, Emmie seemed to answer my question.

"'Tis strange what an instrument can do. It has the potential to be so many things; 'tis why me loves it." Emmie paused for a moment before looking into my eyes and giving a half smile. "What of yerself? Why do ya like the fiddle so much?"

I studied her face for a moment watching for anything that might show this to be a trick. But it wasn't; I could see the sincerity in her eyes. One could never be sure with pirates, especially female ones - but Emmie was most definitely telling the absolute truth.

"A-Actually I prefer the violin over the fiddle," I stuttered in wonder at her. How could someone be so sincere with someone as myself? No one had ever been this way with me. Emmie's eyes boggled at my response. She seemed to wonder why anyone would love the dreary violin over the fantastic fiddle.

"But, the violin is so-"

"Whimsical, peaceful, calming..." I smiled expectantly at her, waiting for a sarcastic reply. But there was only a pause as she looked away in wonder and shock. She must've thought I was crazy.

"Actually," Emmie looked back up at me with a smile on her face, "Me used to play the violin meself. It's just..." her voice faded off into the dark of night. She seemed to be reminiscing.

"What?" I couldn't contain my curiosity.

"Nevermind it."

I frowned when I realized how incredibly close she was to me. Her face was less than six inches away. My cheeks heated up for no apparent reason and I backed away from the railing. Clearing my throat and clasping my hands together behind my back I let out a deep sigh. Emmie looked up at me in confusion.

"Somethin' wrong?"

"No, nothing at all," I lied after clearing my throat once more. "Well I best be off to the crow's nest."

"Oh, I was actually headin' there meself."

Bloody.

"Oops, did I say crow's nest?" I let out a half laugh as I took a few steps backwards. "How embarrassing! I meant to say cabin. Have to catch up on sleep and all that... stuff."

"Stuff?"

She's catching onto you!

"Well that all sounds mighty interestin'. Well, good luck with your... stuff." She flashed me a mysterious and mildly mischievous smile before scurrying up the rigging a few feet. "Oh, and by the way Pater," she called as I turned to escape to my cabin, "thanks for the fight. You're more cunning than you appear."

I stopped and glanced back over my shoulder and flashed a cheeky smile and tried my best to walk calmly off the deck towards my cabin.

She's never called you Pater before...

Damn it Pater! You've really gone and done it this time! You're falling for your bloody precious She-pirate!

She caught you completely off guard... First time anyone has ever done that.

"Pater, wait."