"Have the cabin-girl on standby to wake the day crew," Odessa murmured to her quarter master, a man named Johnston who'd been on this ship for as long as the crew could remember, for sounds carried much further than their eyes ever could in a still night such as this. Johnston relayed the orders to another lad who promptly rushed off, bare feet making little sound against the planks. The old man towered above her, his usually gruff expression even more so. His hairs had long turned to silver, and he wore his locks in a short ponytail at the nape of his neck. A wild bushy beard framed a good portion of his face, obscuring his lips, and enhancing the feral glimmer in his dark brown eyes. Unlike the old men of those on the shore, his belly was still flat and toned, not bulging and unsightly. It was somewhat disturbing to picture him, a timeless grandfather, with an envious six pack. Nonetheless, he was a fearsome foe to have, but an immensely valuable ally to have. It wasn't common knowledge to those not aboard the Orion, but Johnston had his young grandchild on board- a ten year old girl who spent her time in the fishing boats or the crow's nest. He treated her with the utmost care and devotion, and a gentleness none would ever receive- not even Odessa. Not that the woman minded- why would she want to steal a little girl's attention?
"The rest of you," She raised her voice marginally, just enough so that everybody on deck could hear her, "to your stations! Do NOT fire unless I give explicit instructions to do so!" Shuffling and pattering of feet could be heard for a few minutes as everyone hurried off, complying with her orders. In the candle light, she could see the tense faces of those whose job was to protect the deck. "Lower the main sail and switch to the oars." She didn't want to take the risk of their sail getting damaged. Also, the oars would mean for greater maneuverability if it came down to that. A firefight wasn't to the best interests of her crew, but Odessa couldn't deny the anticipation bubbling in her blood like a pot of thick soup frothing over. It had been too long since their last fight- the previous merchant ship had surrendered at the first sign of her flag, pathetic. Something within her soul craved for the thrill of the ear splitting chaos of a good battle, for the roar of cannons, the bark-and-bite of the muskets, whilst the water below thrashed and writhed under the stirrings of their oars.
Beneath her, the calm tranquil water nudged against the boat, barely rocking it.
"Calm down lass," Johnston spoke, laying a heavy hand on her shoulder. The man was well familiar with his Captain's wants and needs after serving her for a great many years, and he definitely recognized the way she leaned forward on the balls of her toes, and how her fingers twitched towards her sash. "They show no signs of attacking yet."
"I know," Odessa shot him a withering glare before steeling herself, rearranging her facial expression into one of cool composure. Internally, she cursed herself for loosing control in that one moment. It was one reckless moment that could have cost her the lives of many people in her crew, and possibly her own. Control yourself! You can't afford to lose your mind now! Slowly, the bloodlust within her ceased and dissipated, leaving her with a detached sense of self reproach. Odessa propped an arm on her hip and shifted her weight to one side as she studied the approaching form of the ship. "It's well armed," She noted quietly, hearing a note of agreement from the man beside her. "It'll be risky to take them on." The tips of her eyebrows dipped forward into a serious frown as Odessa squinted at the silhouette before them. The ship itself was already longer than the Orion, which meant that it would most likely conceal more guns. An elaborate structure sat at the hull of the ship, no doubt to serve as a battering ram. Bulks emerged strategically from the line of the deck, and Odessa had a fairly good guess as to what they were. She swore, earning an offhand glance from Johnston.
"Shut up," She growled mildly, placing both hands on the railing and leaning over for a better look.
"I didn't say anything lass." Johnston chuckled, casually grabbing a musket from the prepared pile nearby.
"Your eyes said it all." If she were as high in the ranks of his esteem as his beloved granddaughter, she might have stuck out her tongue at him. But Odessa wasn't, and she felt more mature than that, so she held her tongue. In their short conversation, their boat had drawn steadily closer, so much so that she could see the other figure on deck, and the dying sounds of a late night party. Internally, she tsked at the carelessness on the captain's part at allowing them to get drunk and rowdy right in the middle of the blimmin' ocean. "Someone extend the plank." There was a mild scuffling, and the scraping sounds of wood against wood. After a confirmation from her hands, Odessa hopped onto the plank with ease and strolled down it's length. From here, she was only a few meters away from the side of the other ship.
"I'm Captain Calla," She cleared her throat, "are you friend or foe?"
"The rest of you," She raised her voice marginally, just enough so that everybody on deck could hear her, "to your stations! Do NOT fire unless I give explicit instructions to do so!" Shuffling and pattering of feet could be heard for a few minutes as everyone hurried off, complying with her orders. In the candle light, she could see the tense faces of those whose job was to protect the deck. "Lower the main sail and switch to the oars." She didn't want to take the risk of their sail getting damaged. Also, the oars would mean for greater maneuverability if it came down to that. A firefight wasn't to the best interests of her crew, but Odessa couldn't deny the anticipation bubbling in her blood like a pot of thick soup frothing over. It had been too long since their last fight- the previous merchant ship had surrendered at the first sign of her flag, pathetic. Something within her soul craved for the thrill of the ear splitting chaos of a good battle, for the roar of cannons, the bark-and-bite of the muskets, whilst the water below thrashed and writhed under the stirrings of their oars.
Beneath her, the calm tranquil water nudged against the boat, barely rocking it.
"Calm down lass," Johnston spoke, laying a heavy hand on her shoulder. The man was well familiar with his Captain's wants and needs after serving her for a great many years, and he definitely recognized the way she leaned forward on the balls of her toes, and how her fingers twitched towards her sash. "They show no signs of attacking yet."
"I know," Odessa shot him a withering glare before steeling herself, rearranging her facial expression into one of cool composure. Internally, she cursed herself for loosing control in that one moment. It was one reckless moment that could have cost her the lives of many people in her crew, and possibly her own. Control yourself! You can't afford to lose your mind now! Slowly, the bloodlust within her ceased and dissipated, leaving her with a detached sense of self reproach. Odessa propped an arm on her hip and shifted her weight to one side as she studied the approaching form of the ship. "It's well armed," She noted quietly, hearing a note of agreement from the man beside her. "It'll be risky to take them on." The tips of her eyebrows dipped forward into a serious frown as Odessa squinted at the silhouette before them. The ship itself was already longer than the Orion, which meant that it would most likely conceal more guns. An elaborate structure sat at the hull of the ship, no doubt to serve as a battering ram. Bulks emerged strategically from the line of the deck, and Odessa had a fairly good guess as to what they were. She swore, earning an offhand glance from Johnston.
"Shut up," She growled mildly, placing both hands on the railing and leaning over for a better look.
"I didn't say anything lass." Johnston chuckled, casually grabbing a musket from the prepared pile nearby.
"Your eyes said it all." If she were as high in the ranks of his esteem as his beloved granddaughter, she might have stuck out her tongue at him. But Odessa wasn't, and she felt more mature than that, so she held her tongue. In their short conversation, their boat had drawn steadily closer, so much so that she could see the other figure on deck, and the dying sounds of a late night party. Internally, she tsked at the carelessness on the captain's part at allowing them to get drunk and rowdy right in the middle of the blimmin' ocean. "Someone extend the plank." There was a mild scuffling, and the scraping sounds of wood against wood. After a confirmation from her hands, Odessa hopped onto the plank with ease and strolled down it's length. From here, she was only a few meters away from the side of the other ship.
"I'm Captain Calla," She cleared her throat, "are you friend or foe?"