Collen Merah & Lemnia Estallamos & Captain Lohran
Collen wasn’t one for farewell celebrations. He had gone up the deck for just enough to see Gus, give him a small wave and then return to his work below the deck. As usual he was doing whatever he was told to. Running around the ship’s nooks and crannies had become familiar to him.
“Ey boy! Cap’n wants his breakfast.” A cook shouted as Collen was walking past the kitchen area. Collen just gave the man a little nod as he took a tray with the food. He walked up carefully, the ships movements felt natural to him. He stepped out from below deck and headed up the stairs towards Captain’s quarters.
Lemnia leaned on the guard railing at the edge of the ship as a small school of flying fish were leaping out of the water and soaring like birds a short distance away. Her eyes sparkled at how beautiful the rainbow created by the spray of the water as they leaped about was.
"So prettyyyyyyy." She cooed.
As the fish began to disappear behind the ship she hopped up, dusted herself off, and hopped in place.
"Mom needs to hear about this!"
The instant she turned around and took one step across the deck, Lemnia face planted into the hardwood floor with both arms outstretched ahead of her. The crewman at the wheel jumped at the sound, brandishing his sword.
"WHO DARES TA-... Oh."
Sheathing the sword, he walked over and helped Lemnia to her feet.
"Ya all right there missy?"
With watery eyes and a quivering lower lip, she nodded and continued on her way. Dashing across the deck to the far-side stairs, she planted her foot and turned too late to see Collen below her. The fault in her concentration caused her foot to slip from beneath her, and she tumbled down the stairs directly at Collen.
Collen had no time to react as the sudden hit made him fall backwards as well, causing the tray fall from his hands.
"Hey! Watch where you're go...i...ng..." his harsh voice faded as he realized that the girl in front of him was the daughter of that important lady on the ship. He didn't want to get into trouble for shouting at the girl.
He pushed himself up quickly remembering the food. "Shit." He cussed as he saw it spilled over the stairs. That he was going to get in trouble for.
Lemnia rolled onto her side facing away from Collen, gripping her elbow and half curling into a fetal position.
"Ooooowwwwwie." She muttered, trying her best not to cry despite the watering in her eyes beginning to build.
Collen was cleaning up the food as glanced at the girl who still hadn't gotten up. "Uh.... You okay?" He asked carefully now worried the girl was hurt because of him. "I'll be dead if she is" He thought in his mind as he moved closer to her. "Can you get up?"
Lemnia continued to grip her elbow and, unsuccessfully, fight back her tears as the pain shot through her arm.
"Oi! Boy! What'd you do?" One of the crewmen asked as he approached the scene.
Collen swallowed from both seeing the girl cry and hearing the crewman shout. "I-i-it was an accident!" He said quickly. Knowing full well he'd get all the blame he didn't even try to claim the girl was one running into him. "I'll clean it up!" He got back down on his knees to pick up the food in a hurry.
The crewman knelt down next to Lemnia and helped hoist her up.
"Did Collen hurt ya, girlie?"
Sniffling and holding her elbow, Lemnia shook her head.
"I slipped down the stairs." She sobbed.
"Didja now? Well, be careful wouldja? Takes a while ta get yer sea legs."
Lemnia nodded, and the man turned to Collen.
"Boy. We'll clean up here. Go get a fresh one fer the Cap'n. Keep him waitin' and it'll be all our backsides fer not helpin' ya get him his meal in good time."
"Y-yes sir!" Collen scrambled up and practically run back to the kitchen. "I need new meal for the Captain." He said to the chef in a hurry hoping they wouldn't ask too many questions.
"Wait. Whaddya mean you need a new meal? What happened to the first one?"
"Uh.... an accident." He said carefully and then rubbed behind his neck. "It fell in the stairs" Collen knew the cook would hear what happened sooner or later so he might as well admit it.
The cook shook his head.
"Boy... You'll be the death of all of us."
The cook quickly whipped up the Captain's meal again and handed the tray to Collen, holding tight to it for a sec before letting go again.
"Drop this one and I'll be the one to tan your hide. Got me?"
Collen was waiting as he made the meal staring down most of the time. He hated being on this ship. He hated Lohran and most of his crew. He had no say in anything and simplest mistake could be a death sentence.
"Yes sir." He simply stated knowing full well the threat was true. He took the tray and walked back up, this time being extra careful.
He reached the Captain's quarters and knocked on his door. "Breakfast Captain!"
"Come in." Came the Captain's voice from inside the cabin.
As Collen stepped in he saw Lohran standing at the back of the cabin facing away from Collen with his hands behind his back and looking out the big window at the ocean. The boy placed the tray down on the table and turned back to leave.
"What took so long, boy?"
Collen froze and turned back at him. "Sorry Captain. Won't happen again"
His left hand was in a fist, gripped at the wrist by his right hand. The fist opened and the fingers rolled before becoming a fist again.
"That's not an explanation, Collen."
Collen swallowed as Lohran was getting irritated. He knew that just like the cook, Lohran would hear about it sooner or later. Collen braced himself for his anger as he spoke "I accidentally run into the girl and the food fell on the deck so the cook had to make second patch Captain." He said once again taking full blame.
The Captain turned his head ever so slightly, but not enough for Collen to see his eyes.
"How do you accidentally run into someone, boy? Is there not enough room for two children on deck to move around?"
He swallowed again frozen in place like a scared deer. "I-I wasn't paying attention Captain."
He was certain if Lohran wasn't going to throw him overboard right away, his punishment was going to be even worse. Especially if he found out the girl was hurt.
The Captain turned halfway, glancing at Collen out of the corner of his eye.
"We're at sea now, boy. This is the last place and time to lose focus on anything... Understood?"
"Yes Captain" As Lohran waved him away, Collen hurried off. His face was paler than he realized as he had no clue how he was alive still. The boy hurried off and hide back below deck hoping to avoid anymore problems for the day.