Snippet #2473394

Though her whole demeanor had been puppeteered to imply ease and nonchalance, her mental state was anything but. She had learnt, through the teachings of others or by her own mistakes, that underestimating anything could very well be a fatal mistake out in the seas. The land dwellers spoke of second chances, of another attempt to do things right. What would they know of true consequences? Many of their jobs hardly required them to put their lives at risk, such as the jobs out in the sea. One loose knot, a slippery deck, could be the end of someone or more. True, mistakes were prevalent both for those who strolled the land and those who sailed the seas, but mistakes carried a higher price out here. Perhaps that was why she presided over her crew with such a heavy and domineering hand. Her harsh, yet fair, punishments ensured that the guilty party would suffer the same consequences as any whom may have been affected by their actions. This led her crew to take special caution in every action they did when it involved others, minimizing the chances of a mistake occurring. And such, Odessa held herself to the very same code that she held her crew to, strengthening her resolve to avoid making the dire mistake of underestimating and brushing away the notion of any hostility towards herself and her ship.

For all she knew, Captain Dio and his crew could have been viewing her in the same suspicious light. That was only confirmed when one of his lads decided to pull a brave one and made to reach for his weapon, halted only by his captain. Odessa didn't stop in her stride, and neither did she give any indication that she had witnessed the preceding movement. I would have been blind to not notice it, The young woman mused, but what kind of captain is he that his crew feels that they can act without his permission? Or did he manage to give them orders before hand? In that case, they really didn't trust her at all. Then again, who in their right minds would? Still, the notion that the lad had acted out of order intrigued her to no end. It was plain as ever that this crew was not a rebellious one, and that they either obeyed his code out of fear or respect. So what empowered this lad to step out of line, with the risk of coming under fire from his captain? Ambition? Brave foolishness? Odessa resisted the urge to look back at her crew, who had been stone silent for the whole exchange. She trusted them with their lives, and she hoped that it applied the other way around. During the few years of her sailing, she had seen many of the smaller and newer pirate ships fall to mutiny. During the time of her take over, she had been plagued by worries of the very same fate befalling her, but quite a few incidents had proved her fears wrong, and she learnt to put it all behind her and put her faith firmly in her crew.

“You speak from the heart, captain, but will you be able to guarantee the same from your crew? Nevertheless, I shall accept. Of course I’ll bring a few of my own men with me, as you’d understand."

"My crew, Captain Dio, has their incentives for being aboard my ship. They have no doubt that should they attempt anything against my wishes, which is highly unlikely might I add, they would find themselves in an undesirable position." The corners of her lips tilted into a serious smile, a sincere one at that as well. She meant every syllable of that sentence, though the woman had phrased it to downplay the affections and camaraderie that her crew had for each other. Odessa let go his hand, stepping back a few paces to allow the man to climb aboard the plank. "But please do, I'd be plagued by guilt if you were anything but at ease aboard the Orion." She eased herself into a welcoming smile, walking backwards until she felt the heel of her boot hit the end of the plank. With an action smoothed by familiarity and surety, Odessa pushed herself upwards and landed on the deck, turning around to issue orders, ignoring the opinion of the other captain on his crew's table manners. It sounded as if it implied so much more, but she could be overthinking it as well. However, there was the use of just her call name, lacking the title and all. Had it been a slip on the man's part, or was it intended? Either way, it certainly showed her another part of his nature. Had it truly been a slip, it was a sign that he was not used to not being in charge, that he liked to be the Alpha at the top. Then again, it was just a hunch of hers, and may not necessarily be correct.

"Those who have been assigned to the rigging for tonight, get back to your posts! Ian, go find Suthers and tell him that we'll be having five extra for supper. Missy and Verity, ensure that the dining room is properly prepared and Johnston-" Odessa paused slightly to raise an eyebrow at the man who regarded her with an exasperated glance, "by my side, please. And for the sake of your own necks, keep it down!" The irony of that was that she had very loudly projected the last bit, contradicting herself. She shoved the mistake aside. The last thing Odessa needed was for this commotion to wake the day's crew. They required their rest for the voyage ahead and being woken up by the heavy tramping of hurried boots and feet was the last thing they needed.

"Captain Dio," She turned on her heel to face their visitors, "and crew, this way please!" Odessa began making her way towards the door that led below decks at a brisk walk, cultivated by years of purpose and lack of idle time. The dining room had been set for seven with spotless cutlery and dishes, accompanied by a ceramic mug. A flask of cool spring water sat next to a bottle of honeyed ale upon the table, gently illuminated by three candles. The walls were comprised of vertical planks, with maps of the oceans and islands pinned up upon them. They were merely for decorative purposes, of course- the maps with her ship's routes and plans on them were locked away in her room. On each of the walls hung a bright lamp, providing sufficient lightning to the occupants. She took her usual chair at the head of the rectangular table, with Johnston on her right and indicated for their guests to do so. "Tonight's supper should be steamed fish and soup, but exactly what I cannot say." Odessa mentioned, leaning her elbows on the table, "I let Suthers have free reign over the details- genius does not show when restrained. None of you are allergic to anything, I trust?"