Jenna avoided the trio at all times, leaving an area as soon as Lynn entered it. She reserved no special glances or looks towards her; she simply sought to be in another area whenever possible. Dexter was growing tired of how awkward the situation on his ship was becoming, and realized that since no one else seemed to be willing to deal with it, he had to do something.
Jenna, Dexter, and Jodyne were sitting at the table in the galley eating dinner while Keshira and Kragor worked the sails. Rosh and Lynn entered the room, the large man leading the way and sitting down next to Jenna. That left only a seat next to Dexter for Lynn, who took it silently. Jenna immediately pushed her plate back and started to stand.
“No, wait,” Dexter said, looking at her. She met his stare blankly, but remained seated.
“This stops now. I need my crew able to work together,” he said, looking at her and glancing at the rest as well for added effect. “Working together means talking, not avoiding.”
Jenna’s cheek twitched a little at his words, but other than that she showed no outward sign.
Dexter scowled. “What is it? Sure, she tried to kill you. That would make my day go from bad to worse too, but it’s over. What’s got the splinter in your ass now?”
Rosh snickered at Dexter’s question, then quieted down when he drew a glare from the man.
Jenna glanced at Rosh but ignored Bailynn. “She is a constant reminder of what they do.”
Dexter sensed that she wanted to say more, but for some reason she did not. He mused perhaps it was the lack of privacy that held her tongue. He nodded. “Alright. I can understand that. Now get over it; I’ll not have it on my ship.”
Jenna’s eyes flared for a moment in surprise and hurt, but even more quickly her expression locked down again. “How long until our next port of call?”
Dexter was surprised by the question. He glanced at Rosh and Jodyne then said, “a week or so, why?”
Jenna nodded, having made a decision. “I will leave your service then,” she said, her eyes drilling into his intently. “Now may I be excused, Captain?”
Dexter’s mouth parted in surprise. He caught himself and nodded, not knowing what else to say. He felt as though she had kicked him in the stomach.
Jenna rose from the table and left the galley, heading directly for her cabin. Dexter turned to look at Rosh and Bailynn, and noticed how she was trying to make herself as small and unnoticeable as possible next to him.
“Can I have her cabin?” Rosh asked, and was promptly ignored.
Dexter looked at Jodyne, who was watching him intently as well. “Well lad, are ya going to go after her?” she asked, her tone indicating he was a fool if he did not.
He nodded, rising up, then turned back to Rosh, whose mouth was opened again to say something else. “No,” Dexter said, pointing an accusatory finger at him. “Don’t even be saying it.”
Rosh shut his mouth slowly and grinned when he looked at Jodyne. She harrumphed and backhanded him on the arm, then went about collecting the abandoned dishes for cleaning. Rosh just sat there and looked at Bailynn, shrugging. “Aw stop that, what’re ya crying for?” he asked, seeing fresh tears sliding slowly down her cheeks.
Bailynn remained quiet, withdrawing into herself.
* * * *
Not pausing as he had in the past, Dexter opened the door to Jenna’s room, hitting something halfway through the motion and pushing it out of the way. A girlish grunt preceded the sight of Jenna lying face first on her bunk, then scrambling around and rising back up with a furious expression on her face.
Dexter’s chagrin did little to make her pause. “Don’t you knock?” She spat angrily.
He did a double take, and even turned to look at the door before looking back at her. He opened his mouth to reply but she had already moved on.
“Shut the door already,” she said.
Off balance, Dexter shut the door and looked back at her, wondering how he could recapture some momentum.
“Look, I just can’t do it. I know I owe you, and I promise I will find a way to pay you, but I can’t be here… with her.”
Dexter kept his mouth shut and listened, realizing he might get more out of her this way. He nodded that he understood and waited for her to continue.
“It reminds me… of them. Of the things they did. So damned sure of themselves; everything was fair as long as it involved no harm to the elves,” she spat out. She laughed harshly and said, “Or at least the right elves.”
“Is that it?” Dexter asked softly. “Was…is she an elf?”
Jenna looked at him, the fury gone from her eyes and sadness in its place. “No… they all looked like that.”
“I thought you only knew of monsters and hounds and the like?” He pressed, stepping closer to her without realizing it.
She nodded, sniffing in spite of herself. “Yes, but its elven magic and, its worse, they sacrificed the life of an elf for every one they made. They bound up the soul of the elf in the slayer and that causes them to adopt elven features. That…thing was human, but she’s been corrupted. She looks to be a waif only sixteen years old, but in truth she is probably closer to forty or fifty.”
“Worst of all is she does not know this about herself, she only knows what they told her; what they wanted her to know.”
Dexter nodded and found himself reaching out and touching her tenderly on the shoulder. She glanced at him and offered him a weak smile. “Dex… I can’t. I just can’t stay. Not with her having a part of me.”
“Having a… what are you talking about?” Dexter asked, confused.
“That is how she found me. How she always knows where I am,” Jenna explained. “They must have taken something from me, some hair perhaps. It, together with the ring, control her. She may not be driven to come after me, but there is a link between us that I cannot knowingly permit.”
Dexter nodded, understanding her better. He had to admit he would have a hard time with such a thing himself, being the private person he was. Jenna slipped next to him, allowing him to hold her close in a supportive embrace. She buried her head against him and he felt her tears wetting his shirt.
“I don’t want to leave… not the ship, not you, not any of them,” said her muffled voice. “There’s no other way around it.”
“Are you hinting that I should kill her?” Dexter asked, suspecting he was being manipulated into being given an ultimatum.
Jenna looked up sharply. She shook her head. “No, I am not. Damn you, human, you proved yourself better than me. Your example with Keshira has proven to me that she deserves a chance to live, or the chance to try to find a life.”
Dexter smiled, happy to have made a difference.
Jenna sighed and said, “I hate you sometimes, you know? But I’m going to miss you.”
He felt a sadness within him but refused to pay attention to it. He just shrugged and said, “Still got a week till we end up someplace, lot can happen in a week.”
Jenna leaned in and surprised him by pressing her lips to his. Once he overcame his shock he returned the kiss, even though he knew he should not. Jenna broke away and whispered, “Especially if I have my way.”
She stepped away from Dexter and winked at him, which made the captain blush. She reached up untied the three separate ties holding her vest closed, one at a time. Dexter found himself staring, unable to pry his eyes away. His eyes found hers and she winked at him again, then let her vest slide off her shoulders to the floor.
Dexter cleared his throat and reached for the door behind him. Fumbling with it, he opened it while trying not to stare at her athletic breasts. He failed miserably, but still managed to open the door behind him.
“I, uh, need to go to…”
“Captain,” Jenna said, stepping closer to him so that she was within arm’s reach. “We’ve had this discussion before. I don’t mind if you look.”
She reached down and grabbed his free hand, lifting it up slowly. “This is how I dress in my quarters, though I’m only changing clothes at the moment. I want you to see me so you are accustomed to it. If you want to spend
