Crow and Genevieve

Chapter Five- Aboard the Lacewood

"We must get to Helene before they sail!" Genevieve pleaded with Crow as he made his way towards the sloop-of-war ship they had been modified for the Captain's specifications. Where a name once laid painted in honor of a British royal, a thick piece of wood now protruded in its place, spelling out "Lacewood" upon the stern. No matter her attempts to appear otherwise uninterested, Genevieve had grown impressed with the ship he had amassed. Not only due to the size, but also the previous owners having been that of the Royal Navy. 

"If you believe you can march upon their main deck and make commands, I am afraid you have read far too many fairy tales …" he teased her as she glared at him. "We must wait until nightfall again…"

"Wait?! What almost became of me upon that ship...We cannot afford to wait!" She yelled angrily towards the corsair as he casted a look of warning through his dreamy gaze. 

"You are more than welcome to attempt to rescue her on your own...but I will not rescue you both...not again." 

"I never requested that!" She defended herself as he moved closer to her, intimidating her with his close proximity, before speaking. 

"If you wish to board their vessel once more and harbor that risk of being caught, then be my guest-" Crow spoke after motioning his arm with a dramatic showmanship gesture. "Otherwise we remain set upon my terms." Without a care if she were to be taken by Klaus as he turned his back from her, he stood at the base of the dock where the gangway would be extended for him by one of the men aboard. 

"What am I to do until then?" She asked as Crow motioned to a man aboard the Lacewood who lowered an access point to the vessel. 

"Familiarize yourself with the crew upon this ship...you may be here for quite some time…" she narrowed her eyes before watching his hand extend to her in order to bring her upon the ship. Without another alternative in assisting Helene, Genevieve followed behind Crow, resisting the help he offered by giving his hand. Because of this, she had to stabilize herself or risk falling into the frigid water beneath her. 

"Who is the dame?" A man of a thick French accent inquired as Crow turned and lifted Genevieve onto the boat via her waist without fault, keeping her from landing face first upon the deck. 

"This is Genevieve. We are assisting her in passage home. You will guard her with your lives." He spoke harshly before moving across deck, leaving Genevieve as the unique addition to their male dominant crew. Uneasy with the lusty gazes of men who were clearly unfamiliar with a consistent female presence, Genevieve moved behind Crow to find him to turn into her without paying attention. 

"Lady Genevieve...you must be careful as we have quite inadequate space for one body to demand so much space." Her mouth came open in an attempt to rebuttal, but he spoke louder than she could muster. "I would recommend remaining below deck...or they just might make you feel unwelcome…" the men's gazes continued upon her as she ignored Crow's advice. But after a handful of seconds being peered at as if she was a celestial being having recently fallen to Earth, she accepted his suggestion before moving below deck. 

Descending a set of ladder-type steps, Genevieve came to a large corridor set with archways and doors of unknown purpose. Considering Crow's words to familiarize herself with the ship, she began to explore the rooms. The first having been a rather austere space of only hammocks used for slumber, she continued down the line of open chambers. 

"Who are you?!" A man spoke with surprise to the beauty lingering within the ship's hull. "What is it you are doing aboard-" his question was suddenly interrupted by a familiar French accent behind her. 

"She is pardoned from duty by Captain Crow." The Frenchman spoke as Genevieve became lost in her thoughts for a moment. Although Crow's standing upon the ship had been hinted throughout their meeting, Genevieve was somehow still stunned at learning he had been the captain of the ship. The usual aesthetic of a captain having been a man halfway through his life and riddled with insects throughout his hair and a beard as thick as molasses, she was unable to place Crow within that category. Instead, he was a handsome exception to her assumption. 

"I would not allow them to intimidate you. If you are under Crow's protection, you have no need to be scared or worried...we will protect you as we would to him." His words allowed her to relax for a moment as she found the Lacewood to be so very different from The Dead Man's Raft. The members aboard were kind, even if they had kept her at a distance, and seemed open to the idea of keeping her secure. For this reason, her anxiety plummeted to a point of absence as she nodded to the man in front of her. 

"Good day, Lady Genevieve…" She was then allowed to resume her self-guided tour of the ship after having been given these well wishes. A smile upon her face, Genevieve now ventured to a room locked with an iron key and another one holding an attempt at a galley. 

This marked the end of the left portion of the ship's cabins, leading her to a room in the center of the corridor's edge. Behind it held a room full of crates of sustenance, enough to live off of for months, if necessary. Realizing she was starving from lack of food from the last few days, she began to pick at some biscuits and fresh fruit, moaning at the taste and eradication of malnourishment. 

Wiping her mouth with the sleeve acquired to her by Crow, she continued back down the corridor, now taking sight of the right half of the ship. The room directly to her side was locked and the one after that had been empty. However, the one positioned in the center right side concealed a washroom, rather impressive for its time. Two large basins, the size of cannons sat on each side of the room, while a crate of soap and a small stack of clean fabric then sat on the floor beside either of them. But Genevieve's attention did not reside with any of these items. Instead, it fell to the broad shoulders facing her and the thick mane of coal-black hair tossed carelessly in a style all its own. 

Before Genevieve was able to control her body, her bottom lip became prisoner to her teeth and she was watching as the compassionate Captain Crow vulnerably bare in front of her.  Unintentionally allowing her hand to drift across her clavicle, she swallowed hard at the masculine hero while noting the mural of tattoos adorning his caramel skin. She began to advance towards him, her steps slow yet firm upon the floor, while her fingers outstretched to make contact to his body. Just as she approached him close enough to pick up his scent, the sound of quickening steps moved in her direction. 

Distressed at what could become of her if she was found watching over him in such a way, Genevieve used the length of the other basin to hide herself behind as the Frenchman entered the room. 

"Pardon, Captain...may I have a word?"

"Must it be at this second?" Crow asked, aggravation in his tired voice. 

"I'm afraid so…"

"Out with it then, Parroh…" 

Parroh scanned the area around him before lowering his tone to not be overheard by anyone undesirable to his topic of conversation. "How much do you know of this "Genevieve"?"

Crow glared to his first mate before rising from the water and venturing to his ally. Wrapping a cloth around his waist, he kept his impressive manhood from Genveieve's view, before turning to face Parroh. "Enough."

"Women do not belong upon ships, Captain...not for more than our pleasure after one night…"

"I will not explain myself. Keep an eye on her or you will feed the fish…" Crow spoke as he went to leave the room before turning back at the last second. "Oh...do not let her leave...she is going to set sail with us." Genevieve glared to Crow from her place of hiding as she realized he had no intention of keeping with their deal. Understanding this, she came to the conclusion that she would have to save Helene herself. She just had to get out of her current circumstance and find a way to slip from a band of men ordered to protect her.