Lost and Found

Why do I have to be the one to take lunch to the captain? Sadie groaned, mentally glaring at the first mate in her head. Is this part of hazing the newbie or just outright being mean?

The wooden floors creaked as she made her way to the captain’s quarters. She stole a glance over the railing. Though the occasional cloud blocked her view, the overwhelming size of the ocean could not be hidden. It wouldn’t be much longer until they settled into the water to give the dragons a needed break (and a chance to refuel). The crew scrambled around as they prepared for landing.

Sadie bit back a chuckle. At least she didn’t have to deal with their complaining upfront. A perk of only being a member of the crew for a month.

Still, having a hungry captain deal with angry dragons didn’t make for a good combination. She picked up her pace and shortly arrived in front of the door to the captain’s “lair.”

On second thought, I’d much rather deal with the dragons than him. Sadie grimaced. Even if he was ‘kind’ enough to allow me aboard, the captain has been relentless in tormenting me.

Holding back a gulp, she knocked on the door, but received no response. She tried again. Nothing. Sadie banged on the door for the third attempt and  the response was still silence.

With a grumble, she opened the door. If he complains about me barging in, I can and will say that he didn’t hear me knocking.

Before her lay a scattered mess of various clothing, junk, papers, and other kinds of ‘treasures.’ She couldn’t hold back a wince at the sight. Only his bed remained untouched by the chaos surrounding it, and even that was unmade.

No wonder he and the dragons get along so well. They’re practically kindred spirits, from the fiery tempers right down to their hoards.

“Captain?” Sadie called out. “Hello?”

Either the captain was suddenly playing the quiet game to mess with her or he wasn’t here. Regardless, she stepped further in.

“I brought your lunch!” she said as she held the plate up.

The stillness in the air unnerved her. If she could just find him–

The cabin lurched, causing Sadie to stumble and struggle to keep the food on the plate. All while dodging the cascading mess around her. A single, yellow apple rolled off of the dish and tried to make a getaway towards the bed.

Roars echoed throughout the ship, a warning from the dragons to not disturb them as they rested.

Sadie groaned,  placed the plate on a suddenly clear space, and started to hunt down the runaway apple. Taking care where she stepped, she scanned the mostly covered floor.

How he functions here, I’ll never know.

Fortunately for her, it didn’t take too long to locate the fruit. Making her way over to it, took a bit more effort. Particularly when she had to take care where she stepped.

If the cabin boys gave up on this place, I don’t blame them, Sadie thought. Especially if it means having to deal with the “good captain” on a daily basis.

After what took ages, she finally reached down and plucked the apple up. As she started to stand, Sadie spotted a lone drawer that had popped open during the ‘smooth’ landing. Out of reflex, she tried to push it closed only to be halted. A few more attempts and it refused to budge.

Holding back a growl of frustration, she pulled the drawer open.

Inside lay many additional “treasures,” except they were the kind a child would hold dear: a small, wooden makeshift boat, a stuffed bear who was missing an eye and an arm, (clearly veteran of playtime from long, long ago), a wooden sword, its use from several battles clear to be seen, and other similar things. A doll with fraying hair lay in the corner beside the old bear, the two of them having been companions for the space of many years after being forgotten.

Sadie touched the doll gently, feeling the rough fabric beneath her fingertips. The captain’s not the type to hold something like this dear. No, she belonged to someone else. Maybe she was his–

“What are you doing?!”

Sadie jolted and fell backward with a cry, right into a pile of junk. Biting back several grumbles, she looked up and her heart filled with dread.

The captain towered over her, a scowl and fierce glare directed at her. Rage steamed from his countenance, his eyes filled with fury. If he really was a dragon, this would be the moment where Sadie was sure he’d breathe fire and that would be the end of her.

What was I thinking?!

“I-I’m sorry, captain.” she stammered. “I did knock, several times, but you didn’t hear me–”

“Silence!” he barked. “Now what are you doing here–”

His gaze fell to the opened drawer and his entire demeanor shifted. In place of anger, a softer yet somber expression took over. His shoulder slummed, as though letting go of a burden he forgot he had been carrying. For a moment, Sadie could almost swear that the captain was trembling.

Swallowing, Sadie quickly broke the silence. “I brought your lunch. Here!”

She took his hand and placed the apple in it. Making a hasty retreat, not daring to look him in the eye, she quickly returned to the plate of food she had left behind and brought it back to him. In like manner, she gave the captain the meal.

He didn’t utter a word. Sadie would almost prefer he did. Even a nod dismissing her would be appreciated.

Quietly excusing herself, she started to walk past him. She took a few steps and glanced back only to find that he hadn’t budged an inch.

With a gulp, she decided to take a risk. “You know, my brother had a sword like that. I guess the design was different, but the concept was the same.”

The captain made no sound nor did he turn to face her.

“He wanted to be a master swordsman when he grew up. I remember waking up some mornings to find he had been practicing for hours.” Sadie smiled sadly at the memory. “If only he had the chance to.”

She fixed her gaze at the wall before her, not daring to look back at him. “I was little when the Empire raided our village. He… He tried to hide me from the soldiers. Though I was spared the sight of his death, I still could…”

Sadie choked back a sob, refusing to allow her tears to fall. Not in front of her captain. She had already shed enough tears to last her a lifetime.

A firm hand clasped her shoulder, causing her to jump. Neither of them moved for several moments. Though she shook from the suppressed sorrow, he didn’t say anything.

When the captain did speak, his voice was soft, softer than Sadie thought possible for him.

“I had two little sisters once.” he whispered. “One of them was a tomboy and tried to challenge me anyway she could. Sword fighting, racing, climbing, you name it. The youngest always chased us around, wanting to be a part of whatever we were doing, even if she always ended up in last place. We didn’t have much, but we had each other and that was what mattered.”

Sadie stilled.

“That all changed when robbers ransacked the town. I did what I could to protect my sisters, but it wasn’t enough. I only made it because they thought I was dead by the time they finished with me and my friend.”

He didn’t continue. She didn’t need to ask what happened. She knew.

The captain allowed his hand to fall from her shoulder. Sadie hesitantly turned to him, her tear-stained face as clear as day.

He observed her for a moment. Then he shut the drawer full of forgotten treasures, hiding them away from the rest of the world.

A crunch echoed in the room as he bit into his apple.

While a part of her wanted to forget the conversation they just had, she was reluctant to forget the side of him she had just seen.

“Captain, I–”

“You can go now.”

She didn’t leave right away. It didn’t take him long to realize it.

“I said–!”

“Thank you, captain.”

“Eh?”

“I know it’s been a month and all, but I never did thank you. (Not that you let me anyway, but I digress). So, thanks for taking me in and letting me join the crew.”

Sadie didn’t give him a chance to respond. She hurried out of his quarters without looking back. After closing the door, she leaned against it and released a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

Before scurrying off, she paused and glanced back at the cabin.

Why did I have to be the one to take him his lunch…?