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As the ship neared Booty Bay, the Captain walked down the stairs below deck, calling out, “Tia.” There wasn’t a response, so he continued to search, passing the cots, where he noticed Anisse reading a book. “We’re almost at Booty Bay, Anisse,” he simply said without a glance toward her. In return, she sighed and flipped the page in her book. Cris continued to walk below, “Tia?” The ship was rather large and he wasn’t in the mood to look in every single nook and cranny. “Tia!” He headed toward his cabin when he found the blue troll sitting in a small room beside his cabin. He stopped and spread his arms, holding on to the doorframe. “What the hell are you doing, Tia?”
The troll sat in a meditative pose, eyes closed, and a smile creeping up on her face. “Meditatin’. What joo need, Cristianno?” Her voice was soft, just in case anyone who wasn’t supposed to hear his name was nearby.
“The bandages on my hand need changing and I want you to see how it’s doing.” The troll slowly rose off the ground and pushed Cris out of the way gently.
“ ’Ow be the shouldah an’ leg?”
Leading her toward his cabin, Cris nodded, “My leg is better. You can look at my shoulder as well. It’s my hand I’m worried about.”
“Zig say joo be writin’ wit it. Dat book again, ay?”
“Hey, I only write when it’s important and when I have to. Besides, I let Zig write for me and he wrote his bullshit all over the place.” He shook his head and sighed, remembering the crude comments his friend had written in the magical tome, which allowed him to communicate with others.
“Wat be so importan’ dat joo need ta write in der?”
“Well, for one, I’m meeting with someone in Booty Bay, and two…” He stopped and looked at the bandages as Tia unwound them. “…well, maybe I can leave her some sort of message to let her know that I’m fine.”
“Da elf girl?”
Cris chuckled. He knew Tia knew her name, something that was not only unforgiveable, but dangerous as well, but Tia was smart. Despite knowing her name, she simply called her “elf” or “elf girl.” “Yes, her.”
“So tell me, Cristianno, wat caused dis?” Tia checked the wound thoroughly and removed a vial of salve from her bag. Her gray eyes shifted toward him, awaiting his response, but Cris simply looked away. “Ah, one of dem situations.”
“Ay."
The troll chuckled as she applied the salve with a blue feather. “Dem situations can get joo killed.”
The troll chuckled as she applied the salve with a blue feather. “Dem situations can get joo killed.”
“Don’t you think I know that, Tia?” Cris sighed and turned to look at Tia, who was simply staring at him while she continued to apply the salve. “But I’m no one’s dog. You know that.”
Tia chuckled and nodded. “I see. Dat be wat caused dis injury. Joor pride.”
“My…what?” Cris laughed at the comment, throwing his head back dramatically. “Please, Tia.”
She stopped and glared at him. “Joo too proud ta step down even if it be ta safe joor life.”
“I back down for no one!”
Tia looked at the wound in the middle of his hand and placed her finger on the reddish-brown opening, pushing deeper into the wound as possible. Cris screamed and grew weak, to the point that his knees buckled and he fell to the ground. The troll laughed and removed her blue finger from the wound.
“What the fuck, Tia!”
“Learn ta be ‘umble, Cristianno. It may save joor life.” She grabbed his wrist and began to heal the wound once more.
The captain slowly picked himself up. “If you knew this…asshole, you wouldn’t be humble.”
“Joo be ‘umble even when joo don mean it. Joo can get ‘em latah.” She chuckled, “Dat be simple pirate thought. Did the Captain no teach joo dat?”
“Yeah, he did,” Cris grumbled. He looked at his hand and noticed it was healing better than before. “I need to start working out this hand again,” he said softly.
“Give it time, Cristianno. Rest for now. Try no to write in da book, ya?”
“I can’t promise you that, Tia.” Cris grinned while she began to wrap his hand in clean bandages once more. He glanced at the troll and took a deep breath. “Tia? Can I ask for a favor?”
“Go ahead.”
“Her name… her name is Davina.” If he could convince the troll to accept that name than the real name she had heard, he felt he could not only protect her beloved, but the witchdoctor as well.
Tia lifted her head and stared at Cris, their eyes locking for a long moment before the troll smiled and nodded slowly. “I undastan’, Cristianno.” Cris smiled and nodded as she finished wrapping his hand. There was a momentary silence between them before Tia simply said, in a quiet tone, “Wat else be der, Cristianno.”
“I’m…I’m getting married.”
Tia stopped and looked at him again. “I see. Joo be sure about dis?”
“Tia, I haven’t been more sure of anything in my life.”
She nodded and let go of his hand, her eyes looking over him twice. “Wit…Davina?”
“Well, yeah.”
“I see. Well, as lon’ as she don ‘urt joo, dat be fine.” She placed her vials back in her bag and began to walk toward the exit. Cris turned to see her and smiled at her when she turned back to look at him. “I mean, it no ‘er fault joo hand be ‘urt, right?” As Cris’ smile slowly faded, Tia’s grew wider before she exited the cabin. Cris glanced down at his hand and sighed softly as loose strands of auburn hair fell over his face.
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