Well, I suppose you could call this a drabble....

[SkySong]

James stared out into the horizon, seeing his next target floating on the horizon. His first mate, Vincent, plodded up behind him, arms folded across his chest. "The Versailles..." He muttered, eyes gleaming in anticipation. The sun was casting a lovely orange glow across the gentle waves, the sky turning a bloody red as night approached. Unfolding his arms from behind his back, he whirled around – coat flying out about him – and fixed piercing lavender eyes on his deck. Everything was in working order, and so he strode over to his quarters.

Ruth sighed dreamily as she looked out into the blazing sun. Unaware of her brother watching her in amusement, she shifted her hips and leaned on the clean, polished wood of The Versailles. Absentmindedly stroking her expertly crafted bows, she let a lazy smile grow on her face, closing her jade eyes in content. Her brother, with his striking silver eyes, walked softly up beside her, his lightly tanned face set in the same peaceful expression as his sister. Ruth and Tristan both shared a love for the sea, and grew up helping on their uncle's ship. Their mother had died a few years after Ruth's birth of pneumonia, and their father followed soon after in a ship wreck out at sea. The deck was quiet for the most part; the sails open in the light breeze. The background murmur of the ship's crew faded easily in Ruth's mind as she daydreamed. Tristan looked over at her and hmphed, a soft smile on his face. He recognized that look, as she wore it often. He idly mused what her daydream was about – life on the sea, no doubt.

His sister was never a normal girl. From birth, she was never interested in pink, frilly dresses and little dolls to play and have tea with. By the time she was three – around the time their mother died, she was playing in the waves, laughing and giggling gaily as they washed over her sandy toes. Then she'd give a delighted scream and run back to their mom, who would smile ever so softly and pick her up when she came running, sandy toes and all. Then their mom became sick, and eventually died. Ruth stopped smiling, always a serious, mournful look on her too young face. He was five when she died, and the world did not find him much better off. He turned to books. Navigation, pirates, politics, anything he could get his hands on.

When their father died, and news reached home, they traveled further south to their father's brother. There, they were put to work tying knots, and sewing sails. When Tristan was old enough, he was sent on board, his face and skin becoming quickly weathered by the sea salt wind. His sister always came and saw him off whenever they left the docks, giving him a wave and demanding he return safely. Now, 15 years later, she was finally able to join him out on sea. The crew liked her, treated her as their own sister. They were family, them and the crew.

~~~

Um... Yeah. Sometimes I just randomly write, and get stuff about this length. Comments, compliments, criticism, flames, whatever you want to through at me is fine. Please don't tell me I write good, because I know I need tons of work, but if you guys get inspiration and wanna add something, I'd love to read it. Not sure what the time period is, but it can be several thousand years in the future, or back in the 1800s. Up to the reader. There's a very small chance that I'll get muse to add to this, but if I do I'll post here.