Chapter Text
That night began the same way as every other night Wenona had spent in Portland.
She would go down to Blitz Tavern and drink until she couldn't think anymore, every single night.
Except that tonight, the beer didn't taste nearly as good as Wenona remembered. She pounded her glass on the bar counter and then rested her hand on her dirk.
"What in God's name did you do to this beer? May as well be water."
The bartender sighed and took Wenona's empty glass.
"Elijah, it's a sin to swear on the name of Our Lord so often... the beer is the same, you're just drunk."
"I don't give a damn if it's a sin, Dick! Sin this, sin that. What are you, a Quaker?"
"I ain't no Quaker, but you should know better, even if you are part Indian. And stop calling me Dick, for Christ's sake. Just call me Richard."
"Alright then, Richard. How much do I have to pay for this... wheat water?"
"With how many you drank, two shillings."
Wenona felt around in her bag. Great. She only had one shilling.
"I only have... One shilling. Shit."
The bartender sighed, clearly not wanting to babysit Wenona. Thankfully for Wenona, someone tossed a shilling on the table.
"Put it on my payment, Richard."
Wenona turned slowly to look at her benefactor, and found herself looking into the eyes of Cassidy Amber. The green-eyed redhead smiled at Wenona and scooted the makeshift stool she was sitting on closer to Wenona.
“So, Elijah. You don’t strike me much as an Elijah, y’know. It’s not really a pretty boy name.”
Cassidy shot Wenona a slightly suspicious look.
“You have any names that… suit you better?”
Wenona bristled, not just from the insult to her favorite pseudonym, but also at the strange energy Cassidy gave off. Despite Wenona’s common sense having left her about three beers ago, her sense of danger was still on high alert.
“No, I don’t. Enough about me, ginger. What about you?”
“What about me? The name’s Cassidy Amber, the one and only.”
Wenona let out a laugh that sounded more like a hiccup.
“You can’t be the only Cassidy in the damn world, woman.”
Cassidy crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.
“Obviously not, you drunkard. I think I am the only Cassidy Amber, with the first name and the surname.”
“Well, then why is the ‘one and only’ Cassidy Amber talking to me?”
“I have an offer for you, Elijah.”
With those seven words, what little of Wenona’s attention could be captured was. An offer. This was either going to go very well or very terribly.
“An offer of work. There’s a trading ship that leaves Portland in two days and is looking for a few extra hands. What do you say, eh?”
Wenona just sat there for a second, like she hadn’t heard Cassidy at all.
Then, she laughed. Not the scratchy, raspy laugh she did when trying to imitate a man, but a real, actual laugh.
“You must be either crazy or desperate, asking a drunkard to help crew a ship.”
Cassidy, on the other hand, was not nearly as amused.
“The dock hands told us you had some experience whaling and could swim. The pay would be decent, and you could leave whenever. Come on, gimme a real answer, not a damn dismissal.”
Wenona paused again. Had the dock hands, people she’d only talked to a few times, put in a good word for her?
“Ah, screw it. It’s not like I’ve got anything going on here…”
Wenona leaned her head against the wall, giggling a little bit as Cassidy explained her contract. She was clearly paying no attention, despite looking Cassidy dead in the eyes.
“So, you’d be working with a pretty motley crew, but I’ll be damned if they don’t get things done-”
“You’re a pretty lady, cass…”
Wenona yawned. Cassidy snapped out of her rant just in time to watch Wenona pass out on the bar counter. Cassidy groaned and turned to the bartender, tossing him a shilling.
“Some extra coin for your trouble, sir. I’ll be taking this one somewhere safer.”
The bartender nodded and turned away. Cassidy picked up Wenona and slung the taller woman over her shoulder. She let out a long-held breath, and said, to no one in particular:
“What in all hell am I supposed to do with you, Wenona…?”