Captain Esmerelda Zaira Yasmin Josephina Maria Alcalde Conde Sandoval de Castellano stood at the helm scowling at the horizon with the sun sinking off to her right. The taking of the ship had been a triumph and though they needed minor repairs the profits from it would be large. This should be a time to celebrate. And yet instead she would need to meet out justice. Contrary to popular opinion the rules were the making of a pirate ship no one was above them, not herself, not veteran sailors, and not new crew members.

“Bring them out, let's get this over with.” she said to Sezjeck.

“Yes captain” he replied.

“Ruben, take the helm.” she said and retrieved the lash from its place and walked down from the helm to the deck.

Jimothy and Petra were brought up from below.

“Sailors! I would like to congratulate you on our victory and welcome our new crew mates, but first I am afraid there is a matter of discipline to attend to.” a tense rustle of mummers spread threw the crowd.

“Petrianna Yekaterina Alexandra Androvna,” she stepped forward. “You fought against a crew mate. Now at the best of times when these domestic spats happen at times of still sailing they are at worst an embarrassment of insubordinate lack of camaraderie that ends in unnecessary injury. You choose to attack your crew mate in the middle of a battle over another ship. You are lucky that the only injured parties were the two of you and that this utter disregard for anyone but yourself did not result in injury and loss of life or this ship. You are a gods damned surgeon, a healer, act like one!”

“but I,” Petrianna began.

“but nothing! Five lashes for fighting.”

“but he!” she again tried.

“Silence! You are new to this ship and you are useful to my crew so you are well within my mercy. Do not push me Girlie.”

Petra seethed and shook with silent rage.

“Jimothy! Learn to keep your insipid hateful opinions to yourself or find a new ship to sail on. Five for instigating”

“If you expect me to keep quiet about that changeling witch,” Jimothy countered.

“Ten! Do you want to try me sailor?” Esmerelda bit back.

“That hardly seems like the judgment of a reasonable leader.” Etheldred interjected.

“Quartermaster,” Esmerelda turned and continued even grace reigning in well tamed anger. “You could have resigned your position when I was elected and yet you chose to stay. As I am sure you know a new election while at sea requires a unanimous vote. So unless you are prepared to back up your snide remarks with action may I mostly politely suggest that you shut your fucking mouth?!” She ended yelling.

Etheldred sneered and said nothing.

“Now do you have anything more to say Jimothy?” Esmerelda questioned him.

“No captain,” he responded.

“First mate, carry out the sentence.” She held out the lash to Sezjeck

“Yes captain.” He said taking the lash from her.

Esmerelda caught Petra's eye and turned and walked away.

“Come here Petrianna, against the mast.” Sezjeck said

“But I saved us!” Petra cried out in frustration. “I saved us from the fire!” she protested.

“The sentence is passed Petrianna, come here.” Sezjeck maintained evenly.

Petrianna bit her inner lip and tensed from her shoulders all down her arms and back. She walked stiffly and stood facing the mast.

“Your hands against the mast Petrianna.” Sezjeck quietly instructed.

Petra complied in silence.

The lash cracked through the air. Petra screamed as it struck her and dug her nails into the wood of the mast. That was one. The lash cracked the air again and Petra felt the bright stripe of pain across her back. She cried out again. She bit her lip and anticipated the next blow so that she would not scream. The third lash cut across her back her scream formed in her throat but did not make it past her tightly bitten lips. The fourth lash came. She refused to let herself scream. She anticipated the last one and clenched her teeth as it fell on her. She breathed furiously through her nose as she continued to stand with her fingers in a death grip on the mast.

“Petrianna,” she felt Sezjeck's scaly hand on her shoulder.

“Do not touch me!” she spat and stormed to the gunwale of the ship and screamed as fire rushed out of her hands and into the water. She finished and turned silently and marched across the deck the crowd split for her as she stormed threw them and went below.

Petra continued below deck fighting back hot tears of pain and humiliation. Every inch of her skin felt like it was crawling. Her neck and shoulders were tight and she had her arms clenched tightly across her chest. She pinched her neck and arms compulsively. She stomped over to her corner with the table and place where she hung her hammock. Petra muttered to herself repeating “not my fault, shouldn't fight, I saved us I saved us.” She undid her belt and next pulled off her sarafan and petticoat and then tore at the laceings to take off her stays. Both her dress and stays would need to be mended. She tossed them on the ground and sunk down to her bag to retrieve her blanket, she just wanted to cover herself up and hide from all of it as hot angry tears streamed down her face. “It wasn't fair” she wanted to think. But she had started the fight, she had fired the first shot, she had broken the rules. But she still hated what had come of it. She wanted to just stop being in a loop of hating herself for what she did, and hating everyone else for what came of it. “it wasn't fair, but I should not fight” she repeated to herself under her breath over and over as she thudded the back of her head against the wall. “I should not fight I should not fight.” She was startled by a voice.

“That wasn't fair Petsha” Dimitri said gently in Northern as he stepped towards her from the stairs.

She stopped and looked up at him with her eyes full of tears “What?”