Through His Eyes

Chapter 4, WIP

An hour had passed of cutting mushrooms for Shadow and Ryan. Gryer was busy cooking and setting out black, ash wood plates on the tables and even the countertop looking out into the kitchen. Once they were done they had to wash their hands.They could faintly hear Gryer's bell ringing up on the deck among the stomps of feet hitting the wood and metal. The big, tall, short, buff and scrawny sailors of all shapes had nearly filled the galley to the brim.They sure didn't skip a meal.

Shadow sat at the counter before someone took the last seats, Ryan sat beside him smiling brightly at the newly alive galley. "I luv meal times... It gives you an' understandn' of sailors' private livn's."

"Yeah... It's strange, I thought Maye said she was short on crew. But the way I see it, she has more than what the ship can hold!" Shadow replied before tilting his head, looking around the room as a buff sailor sat beside him. It didn't sit right with him, everyone avoided sitting anywhere near them.

Ryan winked, er, blinked? "She pulled wool over your eyes, eh? Sal Breach ain't no where near full capacity except for her storage."

"Cannons an' mortars." Shadow looked up at the man, half bewildered that he even spoke to them. He didn't expect the sailor to trust him enough to even speak let alone glance his way, he was new afterall. And weaker and smaller than Ryan. What's so special about him that Maye needed when she could possibly get even more from someone else? Though some wouldn't distrust their captain's wants... None the less the golden eye stared off into the distance, having forgotten who it was just watching.

The man nodded as he continued, "Breach holds more gun powder and mortar than any ship not sunk in the Twin Seas. Aye, an' she's got the guns for every pound, not a grain wasted. But not enough mans per the pounds of heavy liftin." He rubbed his lower back before it cracked rather stiffly.

Shadow relaxed, the fear leaving him. "I don't understand... walking down here... I barely saw a single cannon but this is suppos'd to be a smaller version man of war, no? Why else would I have signed paperwork to... well, join the new war?"

Richard, the name suddenly came back to him once the man faced him. The only other man to have an eye missing, coincidentally one opposite of Ryan's. He nodded with a small scoff. "Cause she's not meant ta scare off her merchants. Tribesmen are skittish these days, trades are the least of their concerns with their dwindling numbers."

"She doesn't trade with the Center Islands? But wouldn't that be cheaper? Or weigh the ship down less since they often trade for golds and food?"

Richard made a soft chuckle, seemingly pulling a small glass decanter out of thin air, right from under the table, sipping its honey colored liquid. "Why don't you ask her? She'll tell you while you break yer back on the deck, bus boy."

Shadow paled. Looking at his feet swinging far from the ground, he never felt smaller. The ship was built by Ancient Domnaes and they were always the tallest of the three races. Maye was one herself isn't she? Yet she was up to his shoulders, not like he was that tall as a simple Domnae, probably because he never ate as much as he should.

Richard slapped him hard on the back, nearly flinging him through the small window, "Aw I didn' mean to scare ya about her. Mom seems real soft on ya. I doubt she'd hurt you fer not knowin. You've barely been outside yer own home, it'd be harsh to punish for not understanding."

Shadow nodded slowly, looking down at the counter, "yeah... mom has to work hard so I've been staying with my little siblings to teach them and hiding from the officers. Schools' have stopped teaching the basics to brainwash everyone. Not that we can afford it either. Then I do odd jobs for traders when I can until I'm caught by old 'friends.' That's pretty much been my life, for so long I hardly remember most days until, until yesterday."

Richard took a longer swig of his drink, frowning and growing cold, "I couldn't put my little girl through that either. But leaving her and her mother all alone is more scary to me, I don't care if she's with her parents or not. Actually, I guess that's why I'm worried... possibly getting caught with them and then..." he looks down his knuckles at a skull ring on his middle finger that starts to tremble like the rest. He puts down the decatur before it had a chance of falling, then fidgets with the ring, running his finger down the red jeweled eyes. "Then... spirits know what they'll do with them..."

Shadow looks back up at his eye as it shakes in its socket, clearly he was somewhat drunk, "how come you're telling me all this? It sounds, really personal for you."

"Aye but it's a problem most of us have now. You're in a family, not just a crew. Keepin all these feelins bottled up is what'll cause trouble/ Fer a kid who's siblings just got seriously beat up you sure are dealin with it calmly yerself. Too well might I add..." He looks at him again, ruffling his hair with a gentle smirk, "We may not all like to share but we all got our own pains, I just wanted to show ya it's okay ta trust us. You'll be welcomed real soon, bus boy."