Chapter 32: The Anchor and the Signal Fire





I woke up to the warmth of the sunlight touching my face. It was the touch I would welcome anytime in this cold and violent pirate world. Summer seemed to be longest in this adventure and the storms are the strongest, but it was the morning light that I had always looked forward to. And it must be the warmest morning I had for an arm was wrapped around me and it tightened as I tried to move in it. I looked up and saw the Skull leaning on the railing with his eyes closed. I could feel the calm beating of his heart on his sinewy chest and I wished my arms were free to touch his face.



And I wanted for us to stay like this; only the two of us facing the morning light. I decided to stay still and used the moment to stare at him. His face was peaceful like the sea and there was no trace of monsters in his head now that he was sleeping. His cold grey eyes were replaced by the beauty of his long lashes and thick brows. His nose was perfect and the shape of his lips made me want to taste it. He was an angel and I couldn't believe that a devil was currently sleeping inside him.



But this kind of moment was too precious and rare that it wouldn't last for long. A crease started forming on his forehead and within seconds, he was already squinting to look at me. I smiled sadly at him as he loosened his arms around me. I sat up straight and faced him.



"I – I didn't know I had fallen asleep," I stuttered trying to defend myself. I was afraid that he would think I took advantage of the situation last night to sleep in his arms.



I thought he would let me go and make a distance between us but instead, he pulled me again closer to him and I landed on his chest. This sudden move of him made my heart skipped a beat and I knew that the loud hammering on his chest indicated that his heart wanted to leave its cage. And I wished we could both escape the prison we were caged in.



"Skull," I murmured, looking up at him. He closed his eyes again surrendering to the light of the morning sun. And when the side of his mouth curved slightly, I knew that he was the brightest thing the day could ever have.



"Just give me few more minutes for we both know what kind of world is waiting for us when we come down this crow's nest," he whispered silently. His morning voice was music to my ears and I wished he knew that I, too, wanted to stay like this.



I snuggled more into his chest and I could feel his arms tightened around me. The way he made me feel was coated with pure uncertainty but somehow, it felt good. And it got me wondering if there was really comfort living in hell.



"The Skull... Threy... or whoever you are right now, I want you to know that... that I still hate you," I said hesitantly – for right at that moment, I wasn't sure if I still hated him. It was like while we were sleeping, all the anger and hatred disappeared. It seemed that I bargained those emotions for a place inside his arms.



He shifted slightly from where he was sitting and just like another dream; I felt his lips kissed the top of my head. I bit my lower lip hard to make sure that I was already awake and despite not knowing what it meant, it felt genuinely sincere.



"I will not stop you from the hatred you feel towards me because you have all the reason to do that. So go on, hate me. Be mad at me," he answered in his deep voice.



And even though he told me to hate him, my heart seemed to choose the opposite way. I didn't know that my heart could be this rebellious – or maybe it had been a rebel from the start. I closed my eyes and leaned completely against him. "I hate you," I murmured. And I thought I felt him smiling as he kissed my head again for the second time that day.



I would have given everything just to stay at this moment forever but the voices below us and the loud calling of Erasmus pulled us back to the chaotic reality we were in. He grumbled softly as I moved away from him.



"Well, I guess this is where the dream ends." I sat up straight and combed my fingers on my hair. I watched him as he stood and looked down below us.



"We'll go fishing. They said that there's a great place to fish near the Pirate City. Maybe Primrose would like to join us," Erasmus said nervously when he was confronted by the Skull's dangerous glare.



The Skull glanced at me and then returned to Erasmus disapprovingly. "I don't think she can join you. She doesn't know how to swim," he said in a serious tone that no one would probably dare to oppose.



"Ah, right!" Erasmus seemed to be disappointed. "I apologize for disturbing you. We'll go now."



I immediately got to my feet and the Skull looked at me frowning and confused. I decided to ignore him as I grabbed the railing and looked down at the pirates below us.



"Wait! I'll join you!" I called loudly.



They all looked at me uneasily. They were cautious of the man beside me who was eyeing them dangerously. I had never gone fishing in my whole life and it would be a great chance to do that. I glanced at the Skull who seemed to completely disapprove of the activity.



"I prefer it if you just stay inside your cabin," he demanded. The coldness that awakened in his grey eyes told me that the sleeping angel I was with minutes ago was already gone. It was now the devil I was dealing with.



If I was another person or a pirate below his rank, I would have followed his order like a stupid warrior to his general. But we were in the pirate world where things could kill or build you. I realized that I had been living in here for a long time now to know when to take the risk.



I smiled at him reassuringly and said, "Come on! You know I've always wanted to try this if only Chester was not being a jerk about..." I stopped on my sentence before I cross the line to a place he didn't want to go back. If it was possible, his eyes became colder and he looked more strict and somber this time. "Well, I will still join them fishing and not even the Pirate King or the captain of the most powerful ship can stop me," I said nonchalantly and started climbing down the rope ladder.



I surprised myself at how I easily climbed down from the crow's nest. The pirates, six of them including Erasmus, watched me as I made my way to their direction, a proud smile plastered on my face.



"You're f*cking lying about last night, are you?" I heard a pirate whisper to his comrade. So rumors and gossips did exist in the pirate world. I looked at them sternly and crossed my arms over my chest.



"Hey! We talked about not mentioning–"



"Yes, I broke down last night," I cut Erasmus from defending me. "And it was embarrassing and definitely not the prettiest moment of my life. But I was hurt badly and I thought that the pirates were gentlemen enough not to make fun of a crying woman. But I guess you also do that to your mother, wife, and sister when they're in the lowest moment of their lives..."



"Hey! We are not like that!" They started protesting and I knew that I just won a battle when they started giving looks to one another.



"Then prove it to me and help me catch more fish!" I said accusingly and followed Erasmus as he led us to the canoes that were waiting for us.



They started piling on the four boats and I sat in the middle of one of the canoes waiting for Erasmus to join me. But just as he was about to get on the canoe, The Skull and Alon – who was bringing a big mug of a hot chocolate, appeared at the edge of the deck and the pirates who were already settled on their boats looked at them with confusion.



"Skull? Are you going to...?" The words faded from Erasmus' mouth as he realized what was about to happen. Uncertainty also crossed the faces of the other pirates who were joining us. It looked like the rainbow they were looking at was suddenly covered by a dark, heavy cloud.



We didn't hear an answer from neither Alon nor the Skull. Instead, the Skull grabbed the mug from Alon and when he got on the canoe I was in, he gave it to me. I received it silently as I watched Alon and Erasmus get on the other boat.



The four boats sailed silently away from the Pirate City to an islet from the distance. As we tailed behind them, I sipped on my drink and wondered where the excitement and fun had gone? My back was turned to the man who was paddling silently behind me and I couldn't help but think that it might be an extension of the moment we shared the other night. Well, a woman can daydream, right?



"Aren't you needed in the Pirate City? From what I've learned, you seemed to be of great importance in this place." I broke the silence between us and when he didn't answer right away, I started regretting it. He seemed to be open with a conversation with me the other night – maybe I had gotten too comfortable with him that I needed to be reminded that it was the Skull I was talking with.



"And risk you being drowned? I'll pass," he answered in his low, deep voice. I almost looked back and stare at him but a good thing--I was able to control myself.



"You know that the girl you met years ago had grown up already and could take care of herself, right? You probably see me as a weakling who would cry at tiny scratches on my skin but believe me, I am more than that," I said.



He became silent again and I wondered what he was thinking this time. I wanted to see his face, his eyes whether they look at me. With a sigh, I turned my head around and caught him staring at the back of my head. He immediately averted his eyes and focused on paddling the canoe. Would I allow this evil man to steal glances at me? And with that, a wicked idea struck my mind. Pushing my fear back, I got to my feet and turned my body so I can face him. I sat comfortably as I turned my back from the canoes ahead of us. This way, I didn't have to wonder about his face while staring at me.



"Now, I can see you better," I smiled at him.



He seemed to disapprove of my sudden act. He stared at me with a frown on his forehead and said, "Look how reckless you are. You are just showing how careless you could be that at any moment, you're going to put yourself in danger!" He chastised.



"I won't fall into the water. I'm not a child anymore," I countered, pouting at him. Despite proving to him that I can handle myself, I couldn't help but wonder if he was just trying to have a control in my life or he was sincerely worried about me. Nevertheless, I must focus on what was happening now instead of overthinking things.



At some point, we fell silent as we listened to the pirates ahead of us laughing while talking about a story they found hilarious. I turned my head to look at them and I found myself smiling at the sight. These pirates were far from the monsters I built in my mind. In this picture, there were no blood, no battles, and no death. They were just a group of fine men sailing the sea to be able to bring fortune to their families.



"Can we go a little bit faster?" I suddenly murmured.



I didn't know if it reached his ears clearly and just wanted to hear it again because the Skull answered, "What?"



"Let's go faster to them," I said and glanced back at him.



He pursed his lips tightly and stared at me with his usual serious face. He probably found my request to be completely ridiculous but still, he sped up the pace and after few minutes, we were already sailing side by side with the other canoes. Erasmus greeted us with his cheerful grin and the other pirates welcomed us with the same awkwardness they feel whenever they were around the Skull.



"We need to go to that islet, right?" I asked.



"Yes. They said we can have a good catch in there," Erasmus answered, still smiling.



I glanced at the pirates who seemed to be uncomfortable in the Skull's presence. And with that, an idea came into my mind.



"How about we have a race to that islet? Let's see who can reach it first!" I suggested and glanced eagerly at the Skull. He looked at me like I was a mad woman for thinking that he would race with the other pirates.



"I sure as hell can paddle faster but..." The pirate from the other canoe said but his words faded as he glanced at the Skull. He lowered his head and continued paddling at a normal pace.



This made me feel less excited and a little disappointed. I was sure fishing was fun but if they would continue being an ice towards each other, then no fish would be happy to come our way. I was about sulk on the canoe when suddenly, Alon, who was paddling the boat where Erasmus was in, started speeding up. Erasmus laughed gleefully as they outpaced us.



"Try to keep up, loser-pirates!" He shouted as they created a distance between us.



The pirates on the other canoes seemed to find it insulting because they began paddling faster, trying to beat each other. I watched as they tried to go after Erasmus' canoe. I looked at the Skull irritably as he continued with his leisurely pace.



"Hey! Faster!" I demanded which he just ignored by looking everywhere but me. With one deep, frustrated sigh, I reached to the sea and paddled using my hands.



"What do you think are you doing? Stop it!" The Skull yelled at me. I ignored him and continued paddling even though my arm started aching. It seemed that paddling using my hand is more difficult than what I thought considering that I wasn't even giving speed to our boat.



"Seriously, Primrose! Stop it. Do you really want to win this stupid race? Can't you just let it go?" He shouted again, annoyance in his voice.



I looked at him, glaring. "Yes! I want to win this race! I don't care if a shark would chop off my arm – it will be in your conscience for not helping me," I snapped at him and continued paddling.



He became silent and stared at me, amused. He probably saw me as a woman who just lost her mind over a little thing. I thought he would just let me paddle to death until we reach the islet but after a few minutes of watching me, he spoke again.



"Keep your hand out of the water if you want to win this race," he said in a serious tone.



I looked at him again and this time, I wanted to confirm what he just said. "Wait, are you going to –"



A smirk rose on the Skull's lips and I knew he was tempted to say 'blushing tomato'. I glared at him and crossed my arms, notwithstanding the fast pace we were making. He tried escaping my glare by focusing on paddling and this gave me a chance to stare at him. The smile he was forcing not to escape made his lips curve into handsome, playful smirk, his intense grey eyes where the laughter tried peeking in, his perfect nose which I couldn't help but admire especially when he looked sideways and his hair which were ruffled by the wind into a fashionably messy style. Oh, how I would fall in love with this man over and over again!



I was pulled out from daydreaming when I heard the loud voices of Erasmus and the other pirates. I turned my head and saw that the island was just a few meters away and we were about to beat the other canoes.



"Hey! That's not fair! Primrose is as light as a leaf!" Erasmus screamed at us, though he seemed to be enjoying the race.



"Really? Is this where you start crying?" I answered and with one stroke and flex of the Skull's arms, we were able to outpace them and lead the race. I laughed gleefully as I looked at him and this time, he wasn't able to stop the smile that crossed his lips. That was when I knew that this fishing would be so much fun than what I was thinking.



When we reached the islet, the pirates started setting fishnets a little bit far from us and the Skull dropped the anchor towards the water. Erasmus started taking off his clothes and jump into the sea. I gasped as a splash of water showered me. It was cold, but the sunlight above us made my skin crave for it. When Erasmus' head emerged on the surface, I cupped some water and threw at him.



"Hey! Aren't you told not to shoot at a place where they sell firearms?" He asked laughing.



At first, I looked at him confused but when he started splashing me with cold water, I understood. I laughed as I tried getting back to him but clearly, he was winning this battle. Some time in our fight, I accidentally splashed water to the Skull's direction and that made Erasmus and me have a ceasefire. Erasmus swam towards the other pirates who began swimming, too, to escape the battlefield and left me facing the biggest monster I had to beat. I grinned at him as I intentionally splashed him with water again.



"You bragged about growing up but looked how childish you are right now," he sarcastically said as he combed his fingers through his hair that was already drenched in water.



"Oh, my! Did I just anger the old man?" I retorted and threw water again in his direction.



I thought he would scold me and made me stop being playful but instead; he stood on his feet, pulled his clothes off to his head and with a short glance towards me, jumped to the water gracefully. How could he jump towards the peril in a graceful way? I thought as I admired his movement. But when he vanished from the surface of the sea, I realized that I was left alone on the canoe – with Erasmus and the other pirates far from me. What if he left me? What if he was offended or got annoyed at me so he decided to just leave me? My mind panicked and thought of ways of how I would paddle towards Erasmus and how the boat would sink and I drowned to my death. The storm that was starting to form in my mind vanished when the Skull broke the surface of the water and stared at me.



I sighed in relief and said, "I thought you left me to die here."



I heard him chuckled as he swam towards our canoe. He put his hand on one side of the boat and stared up at me like he was a merman who would seduce me with his godly appearance or a son of Poseidon who was inviting me to his kingdom under the sea. And I knew that whatever the case was, I would follow him.



"I thought that learning how to swim should have been a part of your growing up," he teased.



I rolled my eyes at his insult. I tried learning how to swim but fear always defeated me and at some point, I gave up. Aside from that, there were only a few lakes in the East land and if I would want to have a good location to swim, it should be in the West Land.



"Well, I thought we should learn to respect everyone's fear," I replied.



He swam a little bit far from the canoe and asked, "If I ask you to jump into the sea to be with me, will you do it?"



I almost laughed at his question but when I looked at his face, I saw that he was incredibly serious about it. I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat and stared at the vastness of the sea and then back to him. He knew too well that I was scared of deep water and my incapacity to swim. If there was someone who wanted to harm my family, they could have used this knowledge to attack me. But why would he ask me to endanger myself?



"Just like what I thought," he said when a minute had passed and I still wasn't giving him an answer; and then he started swimming away from the canoe.



Panic rose in my chest as I stood on my feet and called him. "Do you really want me to jump to the water?" I asked--nervousness was obviously painted on my face.



He looked back at me and he seemed surprised that I was already standing on the canoe – fighting not to be swayed by the gentle waves that kissed the wood of the boat. My question caused confusion to him but after a second, he started to become uneasy as he realized what I was about to do.



"Because I will – for you." And filling my lungs with air, I let myself fall on the coldness of the sea.



It was a stupid act for sure. The Skull was probably just teasing me and he knew that I wouldn't jump to the sea. But this pirate world made me braver and my trust to this man was stronger than my fear. I knew he would not let me drown. And just like the fastest shooting star that made wishes come true in a second, I suddenly felt arms around my waist and pulled me up to surface. Our heads broke out of the water and I inhaled as much air needed by my lungs.



"What the f*ck, Primrose?!" I heard him cursed and I opened my eyes to see him glaring, his cold grey eyes were shooting daggers at me.



"You asked me to jump," I started defending my action but his grip on my waist became tighter and his other hand snaked at the back of my neck pulling me closer to him.



"I was just kidding and if I knew you would do it, I wouldn't have swum away from you!" He answered in frustration and anger. The veins on his neck, tightness of his jaw and his clenched teeth showed that he was trying to control his anger. With a gentle sigh, my hand rose to touch his cheek and somehow, I felt him calm a little under my skin.



"Would you not leave the land if you knew that I would be coming after you?" I asked.



It seemed that my question caught him off-guard--he wasn't able to answer right away. I could feel the tension in his muscles and the uneasiness the air suddenly brought. I guessed no matter how careful I was, I still managed to cross the line.



"It's alright. You're with me and I trust you," I said as I stroke his cheek.



He breathed deeply and the storm that was raging in his eyes started to calm down. Those grey orbs focused on me and I couldn't stop my heart from fluttering inside my chest. He was so close and I was tempted to wrap my arm around his neck. But I didn't.



"Don't ever do it again particularly when I'm not around," he said as if this command of him was vital.



I nodded my head and smiled at him. "Aye, Captain!" I playfully put my hand on my forehead in a salute and he just shook his head at me.



"Now that you're already in the water, do you want to swim with me?" He asked.



"How am I going to do that?"



He started putting my hands on his shoulder as he motioned my body to his back. I was a little bit nervous when his arm left my waist but after kicking my feet under the water, I realized that it was easier to hold him than what I imagined.



"Don't let go," he said and then he swam away from the canoe.



There were no exact words to describe how I was feeling at that moment. I was swimming in the most dangerous part of the world to me with the Skull and I didn't feel any fear about it. Instead, I was struck with the realization that danger was not the only thing the sea could bring to me. It brought me the adventures I thought I could only read in books. It made me see pirates not only as monsters but also people who work hard to save their families. It brought me to different places – nightmares or dreams, and most importantly, it helped find what I was looking for. It was an epiphany that would completely change my views in life.



I frowned when the Skull stopped swimming and moved in a swift motion to face me. I looked back at our canoe and the other pirates but they looked too far from us. I looked back at him panicking.



"Why? Are you tired of swimming? Are your legs hurting?" I asked in a shaky voice.



A smirk crept across his lips and I knew I had nothing to worry about. "You don't have to fear anything. I can swim us back and forth to the Pirate City," he said conceitedly.



I punched his chest softly because I didn't know if I should believe him in this one or not. But he was a pirate, after all, the well-known Skull. What could he possibly not do?



"Then why did we stop?" I asked a little bit confused.



He stared intently into my eyes and my heart started its violent beating in my chest. We were in the middle of the sea for God's sake! My heart wouldn't be able to swim if it escaped from its cage. I was about to turn my head towards to the other direction when I heard his voice.



"So I can do this."



And before I could make any reaction, I felt his lips crushed against mine. It was electrifying and I shuddered as the beating muscle inside my chest made more commotion. It was captivating and intoxicating that my body demanded to kiss him back. And so, I did.



Our lips danced in the rhythm only our hearts could hear and my body, no, my soul craved for more. And when his tongue traced my lower lip, I couldn't help but gasp at the sensation and it gave him an entrance to explore inside me. His kiss was like a fire in the middle of winter – melting the ice brought by lonely nights. It was like a paradise in the middle of the sea – welcoming the voyagers who had grown tired in their long travels. And this kiss was what I completely needed at the moment. This kiss was an elixir of life to my dying soul.



When our lips parted, it left me gasping for breath and my mind in a haze. I looked at him still drugged on the sensation he just made me feel. And I knew through his eyes that he wanted to do it again, to not stop until the tide stopped from rising and falling.



"Threy," I whispered to his name.



He gazed at me intensely and cupped my cheek with his one hand. I leaned on in its warmth and if it was possible, I wanted to be even closer to him.



"You are the anchor and my signal fire in this rough sea of the Pirate World. As long as you are here, I will never sink nor will I ever get lost," he said longingly.



Tears started brimming in my eyes, for now, I knew my importance to him. I knew it was dangerous but I found my arms wrapped around his neck in a tight embrace. I felt his hand on my waist held tighter to support me.



"I'll stay with you," I murmured to him.



At that moment, I had completely forgotten the time, or the pirates who were fishing from the distance, or even the activity of fishing that I should be doing instead of kissing the Skull. I had forgotten where we were and my fear of the sea. When he told me that we should come back to the canoe already, I held on to his shoulder tightly and swam towards our companions. If this was his idea of fishing and swimming, then I would love to do it every day.



Erasmus and the other pirates threw us meaningful looks. I knew they wanted to tease us but the presence of the Skull stopped them from doing so. We joined them in fishing and we were just about to haul our catch to the canoe when we saw a dark shadow from the horizon. It was still far but by the looks of it, it was heading towards the Pirate City. I felt the pirates around me tensed as they prepared to go back to the Obsidian.



"Skull, what is that?" I asked although I think I knew what it was. I just had to ask.



"A pirate ship," he answered. "We need to go now." And he started paddling fast back to the Pirate City. Whatever was coming, it seemed to be an absolute menace.