I was too slow.
I felt the heat of his breath half a second before his hand was gripping the collar of my tunic, stretching the material far too taut as it lifted my body from the wood beneath.
The blow left me reeling, my mind a flash of hazy white as I went limp with it. The pain came seconds later, so blinding I swore my jaw had broken. My fingers clawed fruitlessly at the hand that gripped me, my ears ringing.
Was that shouting? Was it Bran? Goddess, everythingached.
My body was being pulled upright before a heavy kick to my chest had my breath catching as I slammed into the siding of the boat, a wheeze strangling out of my parted lips.
Move. Move. Move.
The shadows came to life beneath my skin and I rolled blindly, the shuddering wood taking the hit I had just barely avoided.
I scrambled back, hands and feet sliding my butt across the sleek floor. My eyes readjusted just as Taven approached once more, and I knew from the murderous flash in his glare that I was dead if he got his hands on me again. Perhaps he’d truly snap my neck and toss me out into the dark depths of the waiting sea.
I could see commotion behind him, Bran's face flushed with rage as he thrust himself into Kidd's face, Kairen just behind him, but it was Roan who caught my eyes. His stare bored into me, swirling with a thousand emotions.
Anger, fear, desperation, encouragement.
Get up,those eyes seemed to scream.It’s not over yet,they sang.
I scrambled back another inch, stumbling to shaky legs, the wrapping on my right hand was loose and fluttering in the gentle breeze as I faced Taven. His smile was cruel and this time when he reached for me, I didn’t dodge, but allowed him to take hold of me. Confusion had himhesitating, but that second was all I needed. Twisting, I pulled him with me, the movement too quick for him to counter. My ribs screamed as I hooked a leg around his weakened one, using the momentum of the movement to swing myself upon his back, my grip on his shoulders steadying me as he roared. My lungs burned, fire in every breath as he stumbled, that knee giving out beneath him.
Teeth gritting against the ache of my bones and the exhaustion that made my limbs leaden, I clung to him, my arms wrapping around his neck as he struggled to get back to his feet. His large form flung to and fro trying with all his might to dislodge me. I yanked at that loose binding on my wrist, feeling the fabric come free, gripping it tightly in my hands I leaned back, pressing it into his neck.
His thrashing doubled as he attempted to pry it from around his throat, his fingers clawing, but I merely pulled tighter. My legs locked around his waist, all my weight leaning back as that fabric held me.
Arms shaking, a scream clawed its way from my ravaged throat, a primal thing that vibrated through my very being. My grip didn't loosen as he sank to his knees, his hands growing weak and shaky with their efforts. It didn't loosen as he fell forward, the side of his face connecting with the wooden flooring as I sat upon his back, my breaths ragged. It wasn't until I felt him go completely limp beneath me that I allowed the fabric to fall from my hands, allowing myself to stumble from his prone form, my body swaying with the rocking of the ship.
For I felt like the sea, weightless and heavy all at once, a vast expanse of pulling tides and pushing undercurrents as my vision swam and my head pounded.
And then the world went dark.
I woke to the darkness, my body swaying and nausea rolling through me as I sat up. My hands ran over the netted material beneath me, realizing it was one of the hammocks below deck.
Everything hurt, but I supposed it was a small mercy they hadn’t simply thrown me overboard.
I stumbled from it, eyes aching even in the darkness, as I felt a path to the stairway that would lead me to the deck of the ship.
When I emerged I felt every set of eyes fall upon me. I hesitated a moment as Taven stood, my friends tensing with the movement. Chin lifting—I knew my face had to have been as bruised as his—we eyed one another. His neck had a line of deep mottled purple that encircled his throat. His nose was crooked and swollen, his eyes surrounded by deep bruising. How bad must I look then? He couldn't possibly want to fight again, could he? Was his ego so wounded he'd challenge me once more? Even I knew my limits, knew that my body couldn’t take another fight.
Yet when he approached he merely stared for a long moment, a look of resignation falling over his face before he thrust the tankard he held in his hand towards me. My muscles screamed as he clapped a hand heartily upon my back.
"Join us fer drinks, Syra." He spoke my name with a hint of annoyance, but I could hear the underlying newfound respect. I nodded once, moving to follow after him, bringing the tankard up for a hearty gulp. "Kidd has somethin' he'd like to say to ya.”
I slumped into a seat beside Roan on the floor of the deck, my brow furrowing as I brought my attention to the grizzled man sitting opposite me. Kidd rubbed a rough palm against the back of his neck.
"I'm sorry for interfering in the fight," The admission had my confusion growing, was my head hit too hard? Suddenly nothing was making any sense.
Bran let out a low growl. “The bastard's earth-blessed. He manipulated the wood and tripped you in the middle of the fight, which gave Taven the opportunity to land that punch."
Carefully I touched the tender side of my face.
"I wouldn' hav’ continued if l'd known," Taven stated with a glare towards his crewmate as he took a swig from his own tankard. “Yet ye still bested me in the end, and Kidd will hav’ his punishment. Let's move past it, aye?"
I was silent for a moment before I downed the rest of the tankard, holding it out to him. “Pour me another and I'll consider it forgotten."
Roan's soft laugh floated over me as Taven grabbed the tankard and moved to the cask they had opened while I’d been unconscious.
