Why Disa Became a Pirate
Disa’s first and only memorable love was her
previous Captain. She was but a child really, but he had rescued her not only
from having to go back to her family, but also from the sickness that she had.
As well as allowing her to stay on his ship and prove herself, much to the
dismay of the rest of the crew, who was a superstitious lot about a female
aboard ship.
Disa finally woke from her sickness, fever and delirium gone. The first thing she noticed was that the ground seemed to be moving in a weird swaying motion. She paused in her waking up to asses the feeling it gave. Finally she decided it wasn’t going to cause her many problems, except maybe in walking, but she had no plans of doing that anytime soon. She gave a groan though at how awful she still felt.
“So, you have awakened. Going to live after all.” A deep, husky baritone voice spoke.
Disa blinked and looked around. Her eyes found a man in the room with her. She didn’t reply, but studied him thoughtfully. He had the most startling green eyes, like glittering emeralds. That was the first thing she noticed about him, after the voice. Next came the hair, black as one of Odin’s Ravens, tied up in a thong at the nape of the neck. She couldn’t tell from this angle how long it was. He was bronzed as if he spent most his time out in the sun. The expression on his face was one of patience as he watched her study him, though he did look a tad perturbed that she hadn’t replied. He had no face hair, which she found odd, but at the same time appealing. His features were angular, with high cheekbones, long dark lashes, and medium sized lips.
His clothes weren’t of Norse making, but then he didn’t look Norse either, so that wasn’t all that surprising. He had on a loose fitting, green shirt that was open to his chest. It matched his eyes beautifully. His britches were strange, only going down to mid-calf, but of a dark brown in colour. He wore simple lace shoes that only went to his ankles, again in dark brown. There was a small pistol hooked into his pant top, she wondered how he could have it so. Wasn’t he afraid it might go off, shooting himself? Around his waist was also buckled a cutlass. She eyed the weapon with an eye well practiced at noting such things and their quality, even for one so young. It was no shoddy made sword that was for sure.
He cleared his throat, his patience finally reaching an end. Her eyes flew back up to his face. She was wary, not really understanding how she came to be in the same room with him, or knowing even who he was. For that matter she didn’t even know where here was.
“So, my dear, do I meet your approval for rescuing you? Nursing you back to health?”
She blinked at his questions, and then her face took on a distant and neutral expression. “I am sorry, sir.” Her voice is even neutral, something she’d learned to do real young when her father spoke to her, or yelled as was often the case. “Rescued me? I am afraid I do not understand.”
Now it was his turn to study the girl before him. She was probably no more then 15 years, but already he sensed an oldness about her. The past fortnight while she had been ill, she had called out some strange things. From them he gathered her childhood wasn’t a pleasant one. And watching her now, awake, she showed no fear in finding herself in the same room with a strange man, but had studied him closely instead. And her face and voice going neutral told him, she was not used to showing emotion, maybe out of fear?
Finally he spoke. “You had wandered to the docks in Bergen, high with a fever, and looking like you hadn’t eaten much days before that. Many in Bergen thought you had the plague. In fact, by the time I came across you there was starting to gather quite the mob. I got you aboard ship before anything regrettable could happen. You have been delirious the past fortnight, until last night, when your fever finally broke.” He hesitated a bit, watching her closely, before he continued on. “We set sail five days ago.”
She digested everything he told her with no emotion, though she did blink at the telling of setting sail. So, I am on a ship. Well that explains the weird moving of the room. “I see.” While she was frightened at the implications, she wasn’t about to show this stranger that fear. She never broke under her father, she wasn’t about to start now. But she needed to know. “What do you plan to do with me now?”
He raised a brow at her question. It wasn’t what he had expected, course her whole behavior wasn’t what he had expected either. He looked at her thoughtfully. “Honestly? I don’t know. The crew’s not happy with you aboard, some sort of superstitious rot about females being bad luck on a ship. Must just be your country’s way.”
She nodded at his words; it was the way of her people. Females had their place, and it wasn’t aboard a ship, unless it was to colonize new land. In a matter of fact tone, “So, will you be throwing me overboard? Dumping me at the next port? Or selling me?”
Now it was his turn to blink. An odd feeling came over him; he thought it was admiration in one so young. He didn’t know many grown men or women that could so calmly state obvious fates, without some sort of noisome display. For now he would go along and see if he could crack her, somehow though, he doubted it. “Well, after all the time and expense to bring you back to health, I doubt it would be lucrative to me to throw you overboard, much as some would wish I do so.”
Again she nodded. “That would leave out dumping me at the next port as well. No money in that for you either.”
The ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Very true. I believe that leaves selling you then.” He waited to see how she would react. He wasn’t really expecting any certain reaction, just curious to see what she would do or say.
She sighed. “I figured as much.” She studies him some more. “Do you already have a buyer in mind, or will I be auctioned off?”
He chuckled. That was one reaction he never would have guess in a thousand years. To lie there and so calmly and talk about her selling as if it was an everyday occurrence in her life. Remembering some of the things she had cried out in her fever, maybe it wasn’t such a bad prospect to her.
He laughed at her. Why? She wasn’t getting all weepy, screaming, or begging for that to not be her fate. She was calm and mater-of-fact about it all. Yet he’d found her actions, funny? She eyed him wondering what had been amusing to him, though he seemed to have thought of something that had turned his expression rather grim. She shivered; it wasn’t much different from the looks her father generally threw her way.
He noted the shiver, and wondered what could have caused this brave child to do so. “Are you cold?”
She shook her head. Surprisingly she was quite toasty under the covers. A rarity in her cold, northern country. It was a pleasant feeling, and one she would treasure in the future when it got cold again.
So, something had caused her to have apprehension. He wondered what could have possibly done so. Not wanting to cause her more distress, he finally decided to end the game. “There is one other option, but it would be up to you whether you are willing to go through with it.”
Now it was her turn to raise brows. Haltingly she inquires. “And what… exactly… would this option be?” Her vivid imagination and strong Norse Heritage could dream up all manners of options.
Finally? A crack in her demeanor? Again the corners of his mouth try to twitch into a ghostly smile. “Become a part of the crew, of course.”
She jerked upright, and almost tried to bolt. “There is no way I’ll be whore to your crew.” Her voice was defiant and her look such a scowl.
He gave up the fight. He laughed loud and uproariously. Tears came to his eyes he was laughing so hard. All she could do is blink in mute shock for a moment. Then he got his self under control, waving a hand at her until he could speak. “I did not mean as the ship whore my dear.” He eyed her critically. “You are after all a child, and while there might be a small few aboard whose tastes lean that way. It is not something I permit on my ship. I mean to actually be part of the crew. You’ll sit the crows nest; help with the rigging and repairs as needed. Restocking the supplies as needed.” He paused and looked at her very seriously. “We are a pirate ship, my dear. So, that means fighting when we find a nice fat ship to liberate of its goods as well.” He stopped and watched her like a hawk, wondering which option she would choose, become a crew member or be sold at the first opportunity.
At first she was indignant. Her a child? If she was still a child then why had her father tried so hard to marry her off? Leading to the last round of beatings he had given her, causing her to decide enough was enough and leave on her own. Then relief washed over her as he clarified what he meant. But when he mentioned being a Pirate and that there would be fighting, her sudden excitement was hard to miss. Then a thought occurred to her sobering her back up. “But your crew doesn’t want me aboard.”
He watched all her range of emotions, the excitement surprising him even more then anything else she’d said or done thus far. At her question, he nodded. “No they don’t, but I am Captain of this ship, my decisions are law.” Looking at her appraisingly. “Besides I have a strong feeling you will win them over. Now knowing where you come from, I know you’ve never stepped foot on a ship, correct? But I have this nagging suspicion you know how to fight… am I right?”
Her eyes had unfocused while he had spoke, as she thought over the possibilities. She heard what he said and it spun more possibilities in her mind. His questions brought her blinking back to the here and now. “No, never been on a ship. Yes, I can fight, taught myself when no one else would.” The pride in that last statement was obvious.
He nodded at her answers, impressed with the bit of insight into her life before. “Then I do not need to sell you?” She gave him such a look of disgust, he almost laughed again. Waving before she could reply. “No, I do not need to sell you. I never planned to anyway.” He gave her an impish grin.
Her mouth dropped and she sputtered. “Was never… weren’t going to…” Suddenly her eyes narrow and she looked dangerously close to wanting to throttle him. “Beast!”
He chuckled and nodded. “Yes. But it was intriguing that you so calmly accepted your fate. I had to try and see how far you’d actually go.”
She opened her mouth to say something scathing, but suddenly her stomach interrupted, rather loudly. Her mouth snapped shut and she dropped her head in embarrassment. He shook his head at her antics. In many ways so grown, and in others still a child. What fate was so cruel to make you so? “Come now, no need for that. You haven’t eaten anything solid for many days now after all. Let me see what I can find you for clothes. Then we’ll see how sea worthy you are and if you can make it to the galley on your own.” He rose and started rummaging in the chests around the room trying to find something that might fit her.
Only when he got up, did she look back up, then she realized she was in his room. He gave up his bed for her all this time? Or did he actually use the bed while she was sick? If he did wasn’t he afraid he’d catch whatever she had? Those were questions she didn’t think she was ready to ask just yet, or know the answers too. She studied him some more while he searched out clothes for her. She realized that his hair went just past his shoulders in the tie. She shook her head and had the hint of a smile on her lips at noticing that.
At that moment he straightened up and turned. He caught the barest smile and wondered what brought it about, but got down to business, after all cute as she was, she was still a child. “Here, see if these will fit.” He rather roughly shoved the clothes at her.
She blinked and took them without a word. Sorting them out she soon figured what was what and where it was supposed to go. He had given her a pair of breeches that went to the knees, and a shirt similar to his, only made for a smaller person. She got out of the bed to change and realized she had no clothes to change from. Shrugging, she quickly worked on donning the clothes she now had. The swaying motion at first causing her difficulties, but by the time she was dressed she had that sorted as well. She looked up at him to see him watching her. “I’m ready when you are.”
He had watched her as she got out of bed and realized she had no clothes on, impressed that she took it in stride and worked out not only how the new clothes went, but also how to compensate for the shifting of the ship. He was impressed that she caught on so quick. He’d had hopes for her, but she’d far surpassed them thus far. She’d fit in well, once the crew accepted her. Then his thoughts had drifted. She’s going to be some beauty when she finishes growing. I wonder how many heads I’ll have to knock off to protect her? Before his thoughts could go much further, she was dressed and looking at him oddly. He shook himself from the odd turn his thoughts had taken and smiled, “then shall we proceed before your stomach decides to go hunting on its own?” She grinned at his quip and stole his breath. Amend that, she’s a beauty now.
“After you. Specially since I have no clue what a galley is, though I imagine it’s where one gets food. Or where to find it.” Her stomach growled again.
He smiled, “this way,” and he left the room and led her to the galley. He kept a surreptitious eye on her to see how she faired in the walk. He needn’t have worried, seemed she’d gained the hang of it right quick. “By the way, my name’s Captain Arthur Sampford.”
She looked at him. “Disa Drekidottir.”
He gave a nod. Now at least he knew her name. They continued on to the galley.
Disa finally woke from her sickness, fever and delirium gone. The first thing she noticed was that the ground seemed to be moving in a weird swaying motion. She paused in her waking up to asses the feeling it gave. Finally she decided it wasn’t going to cause her many problems, except maybe in walking, but she had no plans of doing that anytime soon. She gave a groan though at how awful she still felt.
“So, you have awakened. Going to live after all.” A deep, husky baritone voice spoke.
Disa blinked and looked around. Her eyes found a man in the room with her. She didn’t reply, but studied him thoughtfully. He had the most startling green eyes, like glittering emeralds. That was the first thing she noticed about him, after the voice. Next came the hair, black as one of Odin’s Ravens, tied up in a thong at the nape of the neck. She couldn’t tell from this angle how long it was. He was bronzed as if he spent most his time out in the sun. The expression on his face was one of patience as he watched her study him, though he did look a tad perturbed that she hadn’t replied. He had no face hair, which she found odd, but at the same time appealing. His features were angular, with high cheekbones, long dark lashes, and medium sized lips.
His clothes weren’t of Norse making, but then he didn’t look Norse either, so that wasn’t all that surprising. He had on a loose fitting, green shirt that was open to his chest. It matched his eyes beautifully. His britches were strange, only going down to mid-calf, but of a dark brown in colour. He wore simple lace shoes that only went to his ankles, again in dark brown. There was a small pistol hooked into his pant top, she wondered how he could have it so. Wasn’t he afraid it might go off, shooting himself? Around his waist was also buckled a cutlass. She eyed the weapon with an eye well practiced at noting such things and their quality, even for one so young. It was no shoddy made sword that was for sure.
He cleared his throat, his patience finally reaching an end. Her eyes flew back up to his face. She was wary, not really understanding how she came to be in the same room with him, or knowing even who he was. For that matter she didn’t even know where here was.
“So, my dear, do I meet your approval for rescuing you? Nursing you back to health?”
She blinked at his questions, and then her face took on a distant and neutral expression. “I am sorry, sir.” Her voice is even neutral, something she’d learned to do real young when her father spoke to her, or yelled as was often the case. “Rescued me? I am afraid I do not understand.”
Now it was his turn to study the girl before him. She was probably no more then 15 years, but already he sensed an oldness about her. The past fortnight while she had been ill, she had called out some strange things. From them he gathered her childhood wasn’t a pleasant one. And watching her now, awake, she showed no fear in finding herself in the same room with a strange man, but had studied him closely instead. And her face and voice going neutral told him, she was not used to showing emotion, maybe out of fear?
Finally he spoke. “You had wandered to the docks in Bergen, high with a fever, and looking like you hadn’t eaten much days before that. Many in Bergen thought you had the plague. In fact, by the time I came across you there was starting to gather quite the mob. I got you aboard ship before anything regrettable could happen. You have been delirious the past fortnight, until last night, when your fever finally broke.” He hesitated a bit, watching her closely, before he continued on. “We set sail five days ago.”
She digested everything he told her with no emotion, though she did blink at the telling of setting sail. So, I am on a ship. Well that explains the weird moving of the room. “I see.” While she was frightened at the implications, she wasn’t about to show this stranger that fear. She never broke under her father, she wasn’t about to start now. But she needed to know. “What do you plan to do with me now?”
He raised a brow at her question. It wasn’t what he had expected, course her whole behavior wasn’t what he had expected either. He looked at her thoughtfully. “Honestly? I don’t know. The crew’s not happy with you aboard, some sort of superstitious rot about females being bad luck on a ship. Must just be your country’s way.”
She nodded at his words; it was the way of her people. Females had their place, and it wasn’t aboard a ship, unless it was to colonize new land. In a matter of fact tone, “So, will you be throwing me overboard? Dumping me at the next port? Or selling me?”
Now it was his turn to blink. An odd feeling came over him; he thought it was admiration in one so young. He didn’t know many grown men or women that could so calmly state obvious fates, without some sort of noisome display. For now he would go along and see if he could crack her, somehow though, he doubted it. “Well, after all the time and expense to bring you back to health, I doubt it would be lucrative to me to throw you overboard, much as some would wish I do so.”
Again she nodded. “That would leave out dumping me at the next port as well. No money in that for you either.”
The ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Very true. I believe that leaves selling you then.” He waited to see how she would react. He wasn’t really expecting any certain reaction, just curious to see what she would do or say.
She sighed. “I figured as much.” She studies him some more. “Do you already have a buyer in mind, or will I be auctioned off?”
He chuckled. That was one reaction he never would have guess in a thousand years. To lie there and so calmly and talk about her selling as if it was an everyday occurrence in her life. Remembering some of the things she had cried out in her fever, maybe it wasn’t such a bad prospect to her.
He laughed at her. Why? She wasn’t getting all weepy, screaming, or begging for that to not be her fate. She was calm and mater-of-fact about it all. Yet he’d found her actions, funny? She eyed him wondering what had been amusing to him, though he seemed to have thought of something that had turned his expression rather grim. She shivered; it wasn’t much different from the looks her father generally threw her way.
He noted the shiver, and wondered what could have caused this brave child to do so. “Are you cold?”
She shook her head. Surprisingly she was quite toasty under the covers. A rarity in her cold, northern country. It was a pleasant feeling, and one she would treasure in the future when it got cold again.
So, something had caused her to have apprehension. He wondered what could have possibly done so. Not wanting to cause her more distress, he finally decided to end the game. “There is one other option, but it would be up to you whether you are willing to go through with it.”
Now it was her turn to raise brows. Haltingly she inquires. “And what… exactly… would this option be?” Her vivid imagination and strong Norse Heritage could dream up all manners of options.
Finally? A crack in her demeanor? Again the corners of his mouth try to twitch into a ghostly smile. “Become a part of the crew, of course.”
She jerked upright, and almost tried to bolt. “There is no way I’ll be whore to your crew.” Her voice was defiant and her look such a scowl.
He gave up the fight. He laughed loud and uproariously. Tears came to his eyes he was laughing so hard. All she could do is blink in mute shock for a moment. Then he got his self under control, waving a hand at her until he could speak. “I did not mean as the ship whore my dear.” He eyed her critically. “You are after all a child, and while there might be a small few aboard whose tastes lean that way. It is not something I permit on my ship. I mean to actually be part of the crew. You’ll sit the crows nest; help with the rigging and repairs as needed. Restocking the supplies as needed.” He paused and looked at her very seriously. “We are a pirate ship, my dear. So, that means fighting when we find a nice fat ship to liberate of its goods as well.” He stopped and watched her like a hawk, wondering which option she would choose, become a crew member or be sold at the first opportunity.
At first she was indignant. Her a child? If she was still a child then why had her father tried so hard to marry her off? Leading to the last round of beatings he had given her, causing her to decide enough was enough and leave on her own. Then relief washed over her as he clarified what he meant. But when he mentioned being a Pirate and that there would be fighting, her sudden excitement was hard to miss. Then a thought occurred to her sobering her back up. “But your crew doesn’t want me aboard.”
He watched all her range of emotions, the excitement surprising him even more then anything else she’d said or done thus far. At her question, he nodded. “No they don’t, but I am Captain of this ship, my decisions are law.” Looking at her appraisingly. “Besides I have a strong feeling you will win them over. Now knowing where you come from, I know you’ve never stepped foot on a ship, correct? But I have this nagging suspicion you know how to fight… am I right?”
Her eyes had unfocused while he had spoke, as she thought over the possibilities. She heard what he said and it spun more possibilities in her mind. His questions brought her blinking back to the here and now. “No, never been on a ship. Yes, I can fight, taught myself when no one else would.” The pride in that last statement was obvious.
He nodded at her answers, impressed with the bit of insight into her life before. “Then I do not need to sell you?” She gave him such a look of disgust, he almost laughed again. Waving before she could reply. “No, I do not need to sell you. I never planned to anyway.” He gave her an impish grin.
Her mouth dropped and she sputtered. “Was never… weren’t going to…” Suddenly her eyes narrow and she looked dangerously close to wanting to throttle him. “Beast!”
He chuckled and nodded. “Yes. But it was intriguing that you so calmly accepted your fate. I had to try and see how far you’d actually go.”
She opened her mouth to say something scathing, but suddenly her stomach interrupted, rather loudly. Her mouth snapped shut and she dropped her head in embarrassment. He shook his head at her antics. In many ways so grown, and in others still a child. What fate was so cruel to make you so? “Come now, no need for that. You haven’t eaten anything solid for many days now after all. Let me see what I can find you for clothes. Then we’ll see how sea worthy you are and if you can make it to the galley on your own.” He rose and started rummaging in the chests around the room trying to find something that might fit her.
Only when he got up, did she look back up, then she realized she was in his room. He gave up his bed for her all this time? Or did he actually use the bed while she was sick? If he did wasn’t he afraid he’d catch whatever she had? Those were questions she didn’t think she was ready to ask just yet, or know the answers too. She studied him some more while he searched out clothes for her. She realized that his hair went just past his shoulders in the tie. She shook her head and had the hint of a smile on her lips at noticing that.
At that moment he straightened up and turned. He caught the barest smile and wondered what brought it about, but got down to business, after all cute as she was, she was still a child. “Here, see if these will fit.” He rather roughly shoved the clothes at her.
She blinked and took them without a word. Sorting them out she soon figured what was what and where it was supposed to go. He had given her a pair of breeches that went to the knees, and a shirt similar to his, only made for a smaller person. She got out of the bed to change and realized she had no clothes to change from. Shrugging, she quickly worked on donning the clothes she now had. The swaying motion at first causing her difficulties, but by the time she was dressed she had that sorted as well. She looked up at him to see him watching her. “I’m ready when you are.”
He had watched her as she got out of bed and realized she had no clothes on, impressed that she took it in stride and worked out not only how the new clothes went, but also how to compensate for the shifting of the ship. He was impressed that she caught on so quick. He’d had hopes for her, but she’d far surpassed them thus far. She’d fit in well, once the crew accepted her. Then his thoughts had drifted. She’s going to be some beauty when she finishes growing. I wonder how many heads I’ll have to knock off to protect her? Before his thoughts could go much further, she was dressed and looking at him oddly. He shook himself from the odd turn his thoughts had taken and smiled, “then shall we proceed before your stomach decides to go hunting on its own?” She grinned at his quip and stole his breath. Amend that, she’s a beauty now.
“After you. Specially since I have no clue what a galley is, though I imagine it’s where one gets food. Or where to find it.” Her stomach growled again.
He smiled, “this way,” and he left the room and led her to the galley. He kept a surreptitious eye on her to see how she faired in the walk. He needn’t have worried, seemed she’d gained the hang of it right quick. “By the way, my name’s Captain Arthur Sampford.”
She looked at him. “Disa Drekidottir.”
He gave a nod. Now at least he knew her name. They continued on to the galley.