ANCHORED

CHAPTER 6

Captain Cobham stood behind the bulkhead, his ear pressed to the cold, metallic surface. He knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but curiosity had gotten the better of him. He could hear Jariel and Kris talking, their voices a soft murmur punctuated by occasional laughter. Jariel's laugh, in particular, had a musical quality to it that always managed to lift his spirits, even when he wasn't the one causing it.

As he listened, he realized the conversation wasn't about anything particularly important—just idle chatter about their last voyage and plans for some downtime. Kris was offering to help Jariel with some of her tasks, and she seemed genuinely grateful. Cobham felt a small pang of jealousy. He had always prided himself on being the one Jariel turned to for help, but now it seemed Kris was stepping into that role.

"Well, she got help, so there's no need to ask her to take a break," he muttered to himself, trying to rationalize his feelings. It made sense. Jariel was overworked, and if Kris could lighten her load, it was better for everyone. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling of envy that gnawed at him. Jariel was smiling so much with Kris, more than he had seen her smile with anyone in a long time.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "Get out of your head, Cobham," he told himself sternly. There were more important things to focus on. He had a meeting planned to discuss the next voyage, and he needed to be fully present for that. The crew depended on him to be a strong, decisive leader, not someone who let personal feelings cloud his judgment.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped away from the bulkhead and straightened his uniform. He forced his mind to shift gears, running through the agenda for the meeting. They had a lot to cover—new routes to consider, potential threats to analyze, and supplies to inventory. There was no room for distractions, especially not ones born from petty jealousy.

As he walked towards the meeting room, he couldn't help but steal one last glance in the direction of Jariel and Kris. They were still talking, still laughing, and for a moment, he felt a pang of regret. But he pushed it aside, reminding himself that his duty came first. Jariel was happy, and that was what mattered. He would find his own way to contribute to her happiness, even if it meant stepping back and letting someone else take the lead for a while.

With a final, resolute nod to himself, Captain Cobham entered the meeting room, ready to focus on the mission ahead.