The Captain and the Selkie Part 1

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The captain cursed aloud as the storm raged about the ship. The pirate ship was tossed about in the storm as the captain tried to steer in vain. They had been chased into the storm by the royal navy. Caught between the hangman's noose and a watery grave, they chose to gamble on a watery grave. Sea dogs like them preferred the depths of the deep to pine box.

"Captain, lash the wheel and take cover below deck." The helmsman called out from the steps. "Captain," he shouted out again, but his words were in vain. The captain stood tall as the winds and rain thrashed about. With a final curse beneath his breath, the helmsman descended below and shut the door tightly. There was naught anyone could do in a storm like that aside from batting down the hatches and hoping for the best.

The captain watched the helmsman descend below and then began to laugh in the face of the gale. There was nothing more exhilarating than facing down the elements... The thought was never finished as the mast came crashing down. The captain had not a single moment before she was swept overboard and out to sea.

Most would immediately give themselves up for dead, but the captain kept her wits about her. She grasped tightly to the mast, somehow she managed to hold on with all her might as she was swept further and further away from her ship. It disappeared behind a massive wave that continued to push her farther away from her home.

The storm continued to batter her throughout the night, but she hung on with grim determination. The mast was her last hope for survival.

The storm finally abated and the dawn came shining through as brightly as ever. The captain was exhausted from the battle to hang on to the ship. She used some of the rope that was still attached to bind herself about the waist to the mast. It was much easier for her to float with the mast rather than to continue hanging on.

At some point she fell asleep, but a burst from the water was more than enough to rouse her from slumber. The force of the blast would have ripped her from the mast had she not been tied to it.  As the water subsided a bit, the sleek massive form of a shark glittered in the morning sunlight.

The captains blood ran cold, but it wasn't cold enough to staunch the flow blood flowing from the place where her arm had been. The wet ropes were easy enough to tie, but untying them would be a near impossibility. She was captain because in the midst of any situation, she remained calm. Ripping her shirt, she tied the cloth as best she could about her upper arm. It was difficult with one hand, but  she managed to wrap as best she could.

The saltwater stung and helped to staunch the flow of blood. Her mind had almost completely forgotten about the shark, but she could hardly focus to be able to track the beast. Her best hope was that it had gotten a taste of her rotten soul along with her arm, and decided to leave the rest.

Her consciousness faded as the blood continued to slowly ebb along with her life away.

The smell of blood lured forth another creature. It was shy and approached with great caution. It slowly glided through the water, circling the unconscious form. Drawing courage together, it moved in close. Touching the unconscious form gently, it finally started to work. Words of great power flowed forth and sealed the bleeding wound. It was only a temporary measure, but enough for now.

The creature was not strong enough to untie the rope that bound the captain to the mast. She raised her voice once more and summoned friends. Seals circled around her and began to gnaw on the ropes until they released their prisoner. The body slipped into the arms of the creature and began to float away.

The captain awoke in a dark cave, she shivered against the cold. Her clothes were still soaked from the water, and crusted with salt. She tried to force herself to rise, but then instinctively reached for where her arm used to be. However, her hand came in contact with an arm. It was cold and wet, but still somewhat solid. It was too dark within the cave to see properly, so she could only continue to caress the strange sensation.

Her first instinct was that she was imagining things, but it was too vivid. Her mind then passed over to that she was dead and that she had her arm replaced in the after life. A sound came from the cave entrance, which immediately drew her attention away.

She could faintly see something something sliding forth from the water. It was a seal from appearance, but as it came further onto the land legs appeared and it began to walk upright. It finally took on the full appearance of a woman. Her gait was long and slow. It appeared as if she were still swimming in the water.

The trick of the light must have made it seem as though she were something she wasn't.

The woman stopped by the wall and wrapped herself in a long cloak. She approached watching the captain closely.

"I have you to thank for saving me I suppose."

The woman didn't say anything, but continued to watch.

"Perhaps, you don't speak."

"I can speak," she replied in a singsong manner. Her eyes glowed in the darkness of the cave. They were large and voluminous.

"How did you find me?"

"You were floating out at sea bleeding. I smelled strange blood and came to investigate."

Perhaps it wasn't a trick of the light that she had witnessed. "You didn't happen to swimming around in the open sea."

"The fish were out so I was hunting for food. Your blood caused the sharks to come and scare away the fish." She frowned and looked rather disappointed at missing out on lunch.

"Sorry, I cause you to miss out, but maybe you should have left me to die. A captain that isn't able to wield her cutlass isn't worth much."

"It will take time for you to adjust to your new arm, but you should still be able to catch fish." With that she lit a torch and the room lit up.

The captain looked down to see her arm flowing next to her. It was made of water, but every so often it would switch between resembling her old arm and a tentacle. She stared at it in wonder and horror. It was impossible to tell how she should feel: relief at having an arm or horror at having a tentacle made of water.

"The blood of a kraken has marked you." The woman indicated towards her chest.

She looked down to see a tattoo blazing bright red across her chest.