Prompt# 206- When? - Pirate Heart - Tekia - Original

[tekia.livejournal.com]

Title: Pirate Heart
Fandom: Original
Prompt: When?
Warnings: none.
Rating: PG
Summary: Rama and Sari talk over drinks. One Shot.

Sari carved her name in the old wood of the table. She stuck her tongue out between her lips as she concentrated on her project, completely ignoring the commotion around her. He whittling knife was held at an expert angle as she finished with a cute swirl underlining her name. Once finished, she tilted her head to one side to consider her workmanship. Good enough, Old Man Rama would be proud.
The flicked off some curls of wood and finally turned her attention to the barroom she was seated in.
There were more people within than when she had first arrived, and the general mood was jovial and happy. She grinned into the room, as if she had made the mood herself.
She liked happy people and she liked when a party was happening. She didn’t like that boring stuff like talk of war and battle plans. Stuff that she was doomed to suffer through this night, but later.
She sniffed the mug at her elbow, reminding herself that she drank cider, not ale. She wrinkled her nose and downed the cider. The last time she had drank ale, she… couldn’t remember. Kidow and Ivory and laughter and powerful emotions and all that. She shook her head, reminding herself that she didn’t want to remember.
So she drank her cider and let her eyes roam the bar until they settled on the whole reason she was here in the first place. Rama.
The man had just entered, grinning at a barmaid and tugging at his beard. He flirted like it was going out of business and laughed his booming laugh. Reflexively, Sari smiled.
Rama had been her world after her father had disappeared at sea. He had taken her under his wing and taught her everything she knew about fighting and whittling. Then he expanded upon what her father had taught her of sailing. Her father taught her how to man a ship. Rama taught her how to captain it. Her father taught her to be a pirate. Rama made her into one.
When his eyes landed on her, a real sparkle bloomed in the green depths and she knew her eyes reflected the same. She didn’t stand as he approached, but she did tip her mug in his direction.
“Rama, what news?”
“War, war, and more war. Anything you didn’t expect?”
She wrinkled her nose and buried it in her mug. “How about treasure?”
He laughed and signaled the barmaid from before. “Alright, treasure. There’s a manse up north that needs investigating.”
Her brows shot up. “Investigating?”
He grinned. “Indeed.”
“You sound like Estaz. I don’t like that.”
“As if you know, kid.” He accepted a mug of ale from the barmaid and took a deep draft. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he slammed the mug on the table and eyed her. “It needs to be done, and I figured you’d be the best for it.”
“Didn’t Estaz want Kett or Eva?” That wasn’t jealously in her voice. She wasn’t jealous of their talents. Not at all. Stupid sneaky Night Castes.
But, Rama was shaking his head. “Not for this one.” He pointed a finger at her, and Sari crossed her eyes to look at the point where it rested mid air before her nose. “This, we think, will suit your talents much better.”
Sari eyed him. “What kind of treasure are we talking about? I’m getting sick of being stuck with the ancient books.”
He laughed. “There’s real jade there. And weapons, if rumors are to be believed.”
She snorted. “But of course they are. Alright. I’m up for it.”
“Times like these, I see your father in you, girl.”
That gave Sari pause. “When?”
“When you get that look in your eyes. When your pirate heart is showing.”