A Claira Story
There the nine year old stood at an old dock. Her big jade hues looked up to take in the size of the massive ship before her. Claira clutched her teddy bear close to her.
"Ye comin' up, girl?" an old sailor called down from the deck.
Claira blinked and looked to both sides of her. She looked up and pointed to herself, "Me?"
"Yes, ye. Are ye comin' aboard?" the sailor gave an exasperated sigh.
"Can I?" She said with a small jump that made her wild curls bounce.
"Yes, yes! Now hurry 'fore the cap'in sees!" He growled in a piratey way.
You didn't have to tell her twice before she was up the plank that linked the dock and the ship. Claira hugged her teddy closer once she was on the ship. Gruff men stopped what they were doing to look at her. She looked for the old sailor while stepping back some. She ran right into trouble.
Claira knocked into someone behind her and yelped. Two big hands lifted her up and turned her to look his way. She kicked and screamed, yet she couldn't get out of his grasp.
"What da we have 'ere?" The tall man said. He had a long beard and whiskey breath that made her nose crinkle. He wore an old worn out coat which was loaded up with every weapon that could fit on it.
"Let me go!" She wiggled around before sending a swift kick to his chin.
He shook his head and let out a hearty laugh, "Aye a fiesty one, eh? Would be makin' good shark bait, aye boys?" He held her out further to the crowd of men that was gathering around. They groaned out in responce. "What be the meanin' o' this 'ere tike runnin' 'round on me ship?" His steel grey eyes looked around.
From the crowd, the old sailor came out, "That'd be me, Cap'in."
"Old man," The captain spit out, "Tell me the meanin' o' this. Now."
"The girl, sir. She has a way 'bout 'er. Can't ye feel it? I could feel it when she was starin' up at the ship," The sailor motioned to her.
"I have a name!"
"Pipe down!" Then the captain started to study her, "What be ye, child?"
"First," Claira hmpft'd, "My name is Claira Ann Ravenlock Rogue Steele."
"Strong names such as that prove ta lead ta strong people," The captain nodded. "So, Claira, what be you?"
"I'ma lotta things, mister," she nodded back.
"Such as?"
"I'ma girl."
"Don't be foolin' with me, girl. I can throw ya right back onta that deck. Or I can wait 'til we go off ta sea an' make ye walk the plank."
She gave a gulp before starting again, "Well, I'm a half blood."
"Half blood o' what?"
"Vampire and human."
The crew gave a gasp, and the captain held her out further from him, "Vampire an' human ye say? Which'n's more prevalent?"
"Oh, human. I only have pointier teeth," She pointed to her canines, "An' I eat human food. I only need human blood from time to time." Claira nodded once again, letting those wild curls bounce.
The captain looked her over once more, "Anthin' else?"
"I'ma magic."
"How so?"
She wiggled her nose and poof! His scraggily mousey brown hair became a fiery red color. Giggles came from her little crimson lipped mouth, "You look like my Auntie Jen now."
"What?" He narrowed his steel eyes at her as the crew broke out in laughter, "What in the nine shades o' hell are ye cacklin' 'bout?" The captain looked at the crew at the laughter.
"Cap'in," the words stubbled out of a sailor's lips inbetween laughter, "Yer hair! It's red!"
The Captain dropped her to the wooden deck at that. Claira giggled all the way down until she landed on her butt. A pout formed as she crossed her arms together. He screeched as he took a handful of his own hair and put it infront of his eyes. His steel eyes widened and grabbed her up again, only now by the collar of her little pink and purple dress. She gave a small meep.
"Change this now, ye little wench!" He growled.
"Aye aye, cap'in!" With a small nose twitch, his old dull hair was back.
"Is it back?" He looked to the now not laughing crew and they nodded. "Now get ya work, ye worthless fools. Pull up the anchor an' head ta sea!" They all scattered but the old sailor. He dropped Claira once more, only now not as rough. "What de ye want, old man?"
"What 'bout the girl?"
"Claira!"
"We'll keep 'er fer now. She may prove useful." He looked down to her, "One slip up... an' yer walkin' the plank, girl."
There the nine year old stood at an old dock. Her big jade hues looked up to take in the size of the massive ship before her. Claira clutched her teddy bear close to her.
"Ye comin' up, girl?" an old sailor called down from the deck.
Claira blinked and looked to both sides of her. She looked up and pointed to herself, "Me?"
"Yes, ye. Are ye comin' aboard?" the sailor gave an exasperated sigh.
"Can I?" She said with a small jump that made her wild curls bounce.
"Yes, yes! Now hurry 'fore the cap'in sees!" He growled in a piratey way.
You didn't have to tell her twice before she was up the plank that linked the dock and the ship. Claira hugged her teddy closer once she was on the ship. Gruff men stopped what they were doing to look at her. She looked for the old sailor while stepping back some. She ran right into trouble.
Claira knocked into someone behind her and yelped. Two big hands lifted her up and turned her to look his way. She kicked and screamed, yet she couldn't get out of his grasp.
"What da we have 'ere?" The tall man said. He had a long beard and whiskey breath that made her nose crinkle. He wore an old worn out coat which was loaded up with every weapon that could fit on it.
"Let me go!" She wiggled around before sending a swift kick to his chin.
He shook his head and let out a hearty laugh, "Aye a fiesty one, eh? Would be makin' good shark bait, aye boys?" He held her out further to the crowd of men that was gathering around. They groaned out in responce. "What be the meanin' o' this 'ere tike runnin' 'round on me ship?" His steel grey eyes looked around.
From the crowd, the old sailor came out, "That'd be me, Cap'in."
"Old man," The captain spit out, "Tell me the meanin' o' this. Now."
"The girl, sir. She has a way 'bout 'er. Can't ye feel it? I could feel it when she was starin' up at the ship," The sailor motioned to her.
"I have a name!"
"Pipe down!" Then the captain started to study her, "What be ye, child?"
"First," Claira hmpft'd, "My name is Claira Ann Ravenlock Rogue Steele."
"Strong names such as that prove ta lead ta strong people," The captain nodded. "So, Claira, what be you?"
"I'ma lotta things, mister," she nodded back.
"Such as?"
"I'ma girl."
"Don't be foolin' with me, girl. I can throw ya right back onta that deck. Or I can wait 'til we go off ta sea an' make ye walk the plank."
She gave a gulp before starting again, "Well, I'm a half blood."
"Half blood o' what?"
"Vampire and human."
The crew gave a gasp, and the captain held her out further from him, "Vampire an' human ye say? Which'n's more prevalent?"
"Oh, human. I only have pointier teeth," She pointed to her canines, "An' I eat human food. I only need human blood from time to time." Claira nodded once again, letting those wild curls bounce.
The captain looked her over once more, "Anthin' else?"
"I'ma magic."
"How so?"
She wiggled her nose and poof! His scraggily mousey brown hair became a fiery red color. Giggles came from her little crimson lipped mouth, "You look like my Auntie Jen now."
"What?" He narrowed his steel eyes at her as the crew broke out in laughter, "What in the nine shades o' hell are ye cacklin' 'bout?" The captain looked at the crew at the laughter.
"Cap'in," the words stubbled out of a sailor's lips inbetween laughter, "Yer hair! It's red!"
The Captain dropped her to the wooden deck at that. Claira giggled all the way down until she landed on her butt. A pout formed as she crossed her arms together. He screeched as he took a handful of his own hair and put it infront of his eyes. His steel eyes widened and grabbed her up again, only now by the collar of her little pink and purple dress. She gave a small meep.
"Change this now, ye little wench!" He growled.
"Aye aye, cap'in!" With a small nose twitch, his old dull hair was back.
"Is it back?" He looked to the now not laughing crew and they nodded. "Now get ya work, ye worthless fools. Pull up the anchor an' head ta sea!" They all scattered but the old sailor. He dropped Claira once more, only now not as rough. "What de ye want, old man?"
"What 'bout the girl?"
"Claira!"
"We'll keep 'er fer now. She may prove useful." He looked down to her, "One slip up... an' yer walkin' the plank, girl."