The Lucky Bastard

[Erik]

"Interested in geography now?" Erik asks with a smirk, then continues, "In truth, it's not yet an Iron Island, and it's not particularly green. It's more in the North than anywhere else. The forests there stay green though all the seasons, but they're covered with snow enough that it hardly counts."

[Deleted]

"Wine is the only way to warm up properly in that kind of a place. Want to play a drinking game?"

[Erik]

"You need to ask?" He leads her back down into the cabin, pulling several bottles out of the liquor cabinet.

[Deleted]

"The loser gets tossed overboard for a while," Dacey said mischievously. "I warn you, I have a good stomach."

[Erik]

"But you can't even swim. Can't have you drowning, at least not permanently."

[Deleted]

There was another mysterious glint in Dacey's eyes. "No matter," she smiled. "You'll be going in anyway, not me."

And she began to toss down wine.

[Deleted]

Dacey gave a final hiccup, giggling, and passed out under the table.

[Erik]

Erik, chuckling, picks her up gently and puts her on her side in bed, a chamber pot on the floor under her head.

He finishes off the drinks that were already poured, then heads out on deck to make sure everything's smooth sailing.

[Deleted]

The next morning, Dacey awoke, groaning and rolled onto her side, clutching her head. When she tried to sit up, she felt dizzy and her head throbbed in the most horrible way. She felt her stomach roiling. Dacey gagged, and then rolled over, was briefly surprised to see a chamber pot waiting, and retched.

[Erik]

Erik, used to other retching from seasickness, sleeps right through it.

[Deleted]

Dacey puked for a long time, before rising shakily from the bed, and splashing her face and washing her mouth with cold water from a basin in the corner. "Ugh," she groaned. "Fuckingironbornfuckingironlivers."

[Erik]

Erik, still half asleep, opens his eyes a bit and asks quietly, "Now aren't you glad I didn't take your bet?"

[Deleted]

"Yes," Dacey shuddered, still washing her mouth. She felt as weak as a kitten, and her head would not stop throbbing. "Gods be damned. You ironborn are unnatural. Must be all that seawater you drink."

[Erik]

Erik finally manages to pull himself out of bed, shuffling over to the liquor cabinet. He pulls out a bottle of wine and pours a cup of it, then brings it over to Dacey.

"Here. Best cure is some hair from the dog that bit you."

[Deleted]

"Thanks," Dacey drank deeply of the wine, feeling her headache become a little dimmer, and then she kissed him and pulled him back to the bed. The sun shone warmly though the windows and they both crawled back into bed to sleep for a little longer.