Captain Calico in Tortuga

A Story by Skadia Trazon

A second installment of the great Captain Calico

As the great Esmeralda trudged its way into port after being tossed around by Poseidon himself, the crew was exhausted and downtrodden, ready for a vacation. The great ship docked upon a drifting dock. The sea battered wood looked in no better wear than the vessel. The crew scrambled across the main deck securing everything with a renewed vigor. They all realized where they were. The blessed, or cursed depending on how you seen it, city of Tortuga. The famed place was known for having every pleasure of the world. According to the ship mates, it did.

“Gather round boys!” The tall cougar strode from below deck, her voice seemed to echo around the entire ship. Her heavy black hide boots thudded with a hallow echo as she crossed her only home. The heavy wood of her deck supported her, loved and housed her. It was everything that mattered to her. “We will stay here 3 days only, if you are not back, we raise sail without you. Supplies will need to be replenished and minor fixing needs to be done. Those are your priorities, the rest of the time is yours to do with as you will. Understood?” The last word was more of a command that of a question. She then paced back and forth handing out jobs to her crew. She knew they would all come back, they always did. There was one thing Tortuga didn’t have, gold.

One troll stepped forward. His skin was velvety, and blue, with dark black hair trailing down his neck. A massive tusk curled upward toward his face, the other broken half way down. His hands were well worn from years of hard physical work. His voice heavy still sporting his Jamaican accent spoke up, “Miss, shall we get our coin ‘afore we hit land?” His question was honest. All the crew were hoping to get their coin before land locked, but none had the nerve to say it.

Loki laughed. His heavy voice was followed by his massive form walking up beside Calico. The silver coated lion shifted whatever was in his arms. “Has the good captain ever not paid you fools?” He growled playfully at the troll. The two had been part of Calico’s crew for as long as either of them could remember. In fact Loki clearly remembers him being here when he joined the crew, and that was over thirty years ago. He shook the though from his head as he went to work handing out pouches of gold.

“There is enough in each pouch to pay for what you are retrieving for the ship, as well as your pay. If there is any extra, it is yours. You all have worked hard this last trip. I do hope to sail again soon.” With that she walked away to gather her own things, dismissing the crew before her. Loki followed her. The two were known to take the same paths along their breaks. Similar tastes they always joked. The fling the two shared ages ago was long sense forgotten and sense forged into a friendship beyond words.

**********

“Did you need me to get anything Capt’n?” The male smiladon asked as the two wove their way through the crowded streets of Tortuga.

“Nah, just your personal items.” She shrugged as they continued to walk. “I forced the crew to get just about everything this time. I just have to restock the medical supplies, and I am not sure how much that will run.” She sighed at the thought of having to sell out the gold for it, but it needed to be done.

“Aye capt’n. Care for me to join ya?” He was letting his accent slip. He tried to keep all of that off the ship. The crew needed to listen to him, not make fun of him. While this was the one place he ever fit in, he wasn’t about to make Calico’s life hard just because he was different.

“I’ll be fine Loki, I’ll meet you at Lulu’s.” She was referring to a local w***e house that the two would visit every time they docked here. Lulu herself was a very kind person, and took amazing care of her girls. There was also a bar inside, decent food and a great place to pick up jobs. It was always the Captains one stop. She clapped her first mate on the shoulder as she took her leave to head toward a local herbalist shop.

Calico pushed aside the curtain that was supposed to be a door of sorts and stepped into the musky scent of the medicine shop. Sweeping the floor was a black panther. Her body was hefty but not an ounce of fat was on her frame. Her golden eyes looked up as a loose board creaked under Calico’s soft foot falls.

The panther had a beautiful marking around her eyes. It looked like a full moon flanked by two crescents. An apron covered the matching purple blotch that traced her figure. “Welcome to Gale’s how can I help you miss?” The panther’s voice was soft and shy and her tail flicked with almost a scared gesture.

“Actually yes you can.” Calico mumbled as her eyes crossed the room, taking a quick note of everything she would need. Before the panther could utter another word, Calico scribbled down everything on a small parchment that she held and handed it to the shopkeeper.

The darker feline took the list and sighed as she went about gathering the supplies. The poor girl dreamed of traveling the world, she didn’t care how she did, she just wanted to. Yet here she was stuck in this fungus selling shop unhappy. Tears started to well up in her eyes from frustration.

Calico was enjoying her show. Her golden eyes locked onto the panther’s rear, the first part of her the apron didn’t hide. She watched the cat nimbly dance from one item to another, noticing every muscle movement. Her eyes seemed glued onto this new female in front of her. The only thing that pulled her out of her trance was the girl heavily setting her items on the heavy wooden counter.

“That will be seven gold please.” Her tone was professional at best, mostly it was just filled with boredom.

That was a lot cheaper than the captain had expected, and well this girl had a nice butt. She smiled and tossed ten gold pieces onto the counter. “Keep the change sweetie.” She grinned as she admired the panther once more before licking her lips and departing the shop. Off to Lulu’s to satisfy a few urges.

**********

Calico walked into Lulu’s and inhaled deeply. The smell of food, booze and pretty women. All were her favorites. She glanced around for a few moments before spotting Loki across the room in the middle of an intense arm wrestling contest with some foreign tiger. She wiggled her way through the crowd to get a closer look. Both males were built similar, the tiger looked as though he came from some warm weather place, his clothing was nothing but silks. Loki grunted as the tiger twisted his wrist, but he wouldn’t go down that easily, and Calico knew that. She laughed. “Don’t break this one’s arm Loki!” She called in a bluff. While the large male could well have broken the tigers arm, that would be un-sportsman like. The tiger however didn’t know it was a bluff and lost his focus for the split second that Loki needed. With a great heave he pulled the tigers arm down almost touching the table. The massive orange cat scrunched his face more and put his all into the last effort he had. Loki happily slammed his fist into the wooden table. He laughed as the tiger left, rubbing his shoulder.

“While you were taking your sweet time I made another twenty gold. Also a job thanks to this last one.” His grin was from ear to ear. “Just a trip to take this,” He held up a map of sorts. “to the boot of the world. Some sort of battle plan that needs delivering. We will be paid more on this job than any other.” His face beamed as he handed his captain the new mission.

Calico’s face lit up with pleasure. “Thank you Loki.” She really didn’t know what she would do sometimes without him. She stuffed the map into her medicine pouch and took a seat. Round after round came, first of booze, then a round of women, and back to the drink of poison.

*******

Skadia shut the doors to the shop a few min early. Her boss wasn’t there to yell and she really didn’t care at that moment. She was going to take her tip from that beautiful pirate and go buy herself a much needed drink. She wanted to tell her boss she quit, she wanted to ask that pirate woman if she could join her, but she didn’t have the courage. That pirate wouldn’t take me. She thought as she sat herself on a barstool in the corner of Lulu’s. She came here often, not for the drinks, or the company, but for the stories. Everyone from everywhere came to Tortuga at one point or another. She played with the shot of whisky that she held. Her mind lost in the adventures she wished she could have.

Calico looked up from her current pint of ale. Her and Loki were mug for mug six mugs in. At least that what they agreed upon. She noticed a familiar face over at the bar. She would recognize that tail anywhere. Now that the panther was out of her work apron the captain could see every one of her curves. She pulled herself together and took a few drunken steps toward the female. Loki caught her arm just in time to stop her from planting her face into the bar.

“Well you’ve looked like you could use another drink of another.” Calico half stuttered at the pretty girl before her. Her mind was fuzzy, from drinks and the high of sex. Poor dear didn’t even know what she was doing. Or did she. She grinned and slammed another gold coin on the bar. “Carl! Get me another pint and get the pretty lass here some rum! Not that whisky crap.” The bartender shuffled over, and while his name wasn’t Carl, nor anything near that, he obliged and got the fair for the two woman, then looked at Loki with a concerning look.

Skadia’s breath caught in her throat; here that pirate is talking to her, buying her a drink. Her mind hazed at every thought that went through it. One she wasn’t very proud of. She blushed as the cougar got closer. “Thank you miss, but you don’t have too.”

“Of course I do! I would never not buy a pretty girl a stiff drink!” She went from drunk to serious drunk. Calico was now determined to get this girl not just on her ship but on her crew. When this kitty wanted something, she generally got it.

Loki seen the look on his captains face, and while he knew what it meant, he also knew there was nothing he could do about it. One because he was drunk, and two because that was his captain. He decided to try anyway, after all the sun was starting to haze through the windows. “Calico! Let’s head back to the ship and sleep this off. We leave morn after.” His words were a tad less slurred.

“Aye!” Calico yowled as she took another drink, her eyes still locked onto the panther before her. “Miss, what is your name?” It was the most sober thing she had said all evening.

“Skadia”

It was the only thing Calico heard in the bar that night, well at least the only thing she remembered. “Wanna see my big ship?” She cooed. Her words were meant to impress, and while the word boat would have done, Calico still prides herself with that night.

“YES!” Skadia half screamed at the cougar.