Llyr and the Pirates - Day 4
Day 4: Low Tide
For @amonthofwhump‘s Water Whump May, where I write a part of this story every day according to the prompt. On video call with my friend but still getting this up woo.
Tag list: @spiffythespook and @castielamigos-whump-side-blog
Content Warnings: uhhhh nothing I think? Painful wound cleaning and still nonsexual nudity
Hugh groaned in response, and Llyr questioned his decision to come with the pirates at all.
Hugh left quickly after that, and Ray crouched down by his side, taking the loose end of the net in hand and looking it over.
“Hey, buddy, I’m sorry about him. I promise he didn’t mean it, okay? Hugh’s a nice guy, he just gets a little scared sometimes. We all do,” it said, the same spark of pity and concern in its eyes as earlier. He couldn’t reply, still breathing hard and shallow and trapped in the net. Llyr squirmed again, shifting his weight and only able to rock slightly back and forth, and looked back up to meet the human’s eyes.
“Right! Uh, alright, so I’m gonna have to roll you back over to get you out. I’ll be as careful as I can…” It trailed off, and he nodded shallowly around the net. Slowly, Ray took hold of his body and rolled him to his stomach, then on to his back, then to his stomach again. He groaned at the pressure on his new injuries, but with each roll there was less and less of the net wrapped around him.
Finally, it rolled him onto his back one last time, and pulled the rest of the net off, freeing him. Llyr was grateful to finally be able to move his arms, and went to push himself off the ground.
“Do you need help? Can you stand, bud?” It reached out a hand which he gladly accepted, and shakily used the leverage to get to his feet. When he wobbled, Ray wrapped an arm around his torso to keep him up.
They walked together in silence inside the ship and to the cabins. Ray opened the door to one and waved him inside first, where he saw the redhead from earlier was already waiting, milling around the room. It was a quaint size for a human, two beds on opposite walls with a desk along the other one, but it felt so enclosed compared to the vast expanse of the sea.
“You took a while, did something-” Floyd stopped himself, eyes going wider at the sight of Llyr’s face. The hits must have left marks. “...happen?” The human finished its sentence, but it was more of an afterthought at that point.
“Hugh thought he was a thief kid and roughed him up a little before I could stop him.” Ray said, and Llyr fiddled with the edges of his cloak at the memory of that man’s glare. He couldn’t imagine it was nearly as nice as his rescuer said it was, with eyes so dark and cold like that.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Floyd looked at Llyr when it said that, like it had some fault in this matter. “He… that’s still wrong of him. If that was me… you know…” It trailed off, looking at Ray with a sad, conflicted expression.
“I know, I know,” it responded, and the two seemed to understand each other. Llyr looked on, confusion written across his face.
“Well, let me help at least. You had that cut that needs bandaged up, so just take a seat right on that bed.” Floyd gestured and Llyr sat, eyes trained more on the floor than anything else. “What’s your name, friend?”
Llyr’s gaze raised when Floyd called him its friend, and he felt a pang somewhere inside him. It hurt, but it was warm and comforting at the same time.
“I’m- my name is Llyr,” he said, eyes still trained on Floyd, who had turned around to grab something. When he turned back, Llyr looked away towards the wall instead.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you then, Llyr,” Floyd smiled, kneeling in front of him with a bucket of water and a cloth. “Ray, can you please get him some clothes? I think there’s some back in my dresser.”
“Yeah, of course,” Ray spoke for the first time since introducing him, standing up from where it leaned against the doorway and heading back through the hall. The room fell silent then as Floyd dipped its cloth into the water, wringing the extra out above the bucket.
“I’m gonna clean off your side with this, but it’s gonna sting. Try to stay still if you can,” it warns before pressing the wet cloth to his cut. The pressure against the wound hurts, and the cool water helps for a moment before it stings too. He winces, but only lets out a groan as he breathes steadily and carefully.
Floyd takes the cloth off his side and rinses it in the water again before bringing it back up. As it presses it to his cut, though, the ship gives a sudden lurch and the floor tilts just enough to the side that the human loses its balance. It falls, and in trying to steady itself, lands its hand on Llyr’s side. He shrieks at the sudden pressure, falling sideways as well and just catching himself on the bed.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Llyr, I really didn’t mean to… the tide must be coming in again.”
Llyr got what he meant there, at least. It had been low tide when he arrived, and the waves always got stronger when it was rising. He never considered how it would affect a vessel at sea.
“I think it’s pretty clean anyway, now. I’ll just bandage it up before these waves hit us any harder, alright?”
Llyr nodded, hands once again fidgeting with the sealskin cloak.
Next part
