He could see it in her eyes before she even said those magic words.
“I have a plan.”
“Really, Azara, what is it? I can’t be out all afternoon,” a thin boy said as he shut the door to a small dirty shop that sold a variety of wares.
“I can’t tell you here,” the little girl he was following said with a roll of the eyes. “Honestly, Rory, you never know who is listening…” she continued, squinting her eyes into little hazel slits and looking at the townsfolk as they strolled down the main thoroughfare.
Azara Starcatcher whipped her mane of dreadlocked red hair around and smiled somewhat evilly. Rory had a moment of trepidation before he heard the words come out of her mouth.
“Race?”
“Race,” he replied, sounding just and mischievous as her smile.
They took off.
Azara started laughing as her leather strip covered feet slapped against the dirt road. She was sprinting as hard as her legs could handle, arms out stretched. Rory was at her heel, the tufts of bleached blonde locks waved into his eyes. He was smiling. They hadn’t raced one another for months. Rory was determined to show her how strong he had gotten and how much taller. He stretched his legs out bare feet and all, passing her easily. He heard her scoff behind him. He turned his head just once and grinned.
They ran past the small cluster of stores and taverns that made up the main portion of the town of Sevens Port. They passed the docks of the port and flew into the market place filled with men and women selling fruit and smoked meats. Far out in the bay was a tall ship with its anchor weighed. Rory spared it one quick glance, he’d have plenty of time to look at it again the following day. Right now he was racing and the afternoon on the island was perfect.
They passed the town’s council building and the few scattered homes on the edge of town before passing under the town’s north gate. They ran past the first outlaying farm. The dirt road was beginning to thin to a space wide enough for only one cart. Rory sped past the wood fencing and the field that was already harvested. The wind flared up and rustled his pale linen shirt. They were passing the farmhouse. It belonged to the Grainreaper family. All nine of them. The house itself was built from logs of the forest that once stood there. It had a beautiful entrance with a wide welcoming door. Rory and Azara both knew the children there and each were tempted to call out as they passed. But this race, was for them alone.
“TURN!” Azara called roughly and veered sharply to her right, the little silver hoops in her ears flashing.
Rory, who was caught off guard, stumbled as he tried to slow his speed and double back to where Azara has turned off the road. She was jetting past the backside of the farmhouse toward the barn that was nestled in the far corner of the field. She was running harder, he could tell. She really wanted to beat him, prove that not seeing each other for the months he was on the ship had changed nothing. She was still Azara and Azara always beat him. Rory smiled to himself and watched the light blue tunic she was wearing flutter at her sides. He knew he had gotten taller but Azara was still the small skinny girl she had always been, dry elbows and all.
He chased her for a while, always running just behind her, seeing her hands clench and dart out, grabbing the air. They darted through the thin woods, dried leaves crunching under their feet. The trees were nearly bare this time of the year. Azara darted in and out of them, her hair setting fire to the landscape. It was so red it reminded Rory of the cardinal feathers all spread out in flight. Her skin blended with the autumn background, golds and browns. He could hear her laughing. He quickened his pace and dived in and around the trees following Azara’s nimble steps.
Both were laughing as they leapt over the thinnest part of the stream that ran through the woods out to the shore. When they broke out of the woods, Rory lightly tapped her shoulder and took off at a dead sprint, leaving the girl several paces behind him.
“DOWN!” Rory called to her and took off toward the bottom of the valley.
They were on a field. Before them were huge rolling golden fields. Rory sped down the hillside kicking up blades of the long grass behind him. Azara was beginning to get angry. He had changed while they were apart, and what she was feeling was more jealously than dislike for this Rory who was her Rory, but not at the same time. How dare he run off and grow and learn how to beat her at her own race. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair, but it was great fun.
The grass was soft under her feet and the wind was strong. They were running hard, but moving slow. Rory’s hair, that was several shades lighter than it had been at the beginning of summer, curled and twisted above his head. It had a strange cut to it, longer on top and haphazardly hacked away along the sides and in the back. It looked like someone, probably a man, had sliced it with a dull knife. Not that it looked terrible, but it was different. Rory’s arms had out grown the light colored shirt he was wearing, his thin wrists pulled out of them, showing off the two blue beaded bracelets on his left arm. He was leaping down the second hill at great length. Azara reasoned that he had finally grown into his name. Rory Breezerunner.
They were almost there. So close. They had just crossed over the East Road and flew over the other side. Azara’s legs were becoming numb and it was becoming harder to breathe. Rory showed no signs of slowing, so she pushed herself harder. She grunted as they hit the rocky shoreline on the opposite side of the island. Rory was two paces ahead of her still. A few more steps and it would be over. Azara dived forward, her dirty feet hitting the water at the same time as Rory’s.
“—Tie,” he huffed and collapsed onto the wet sand.
The wave retreated in to the wide ocean before them. Azara stood a moment longer, breathing hard. She staggered back a few steps and fell next to where Rory lay, sounding like he was dying.
“You’re… taller,” she said, half panting.
“I know,” he replied, eyes wide and staring up at the bright blue sky.
Azara turned her head and stared at her childhood friend, her snarled and thick hair dragging through the sand. His profile was the same. Stupid upturned nose and all. His lips were long and thin, and started to curve into a grin.
“You’re slower, have you been stuffing yourself since I’ve been gone?”
The answer he received was a face full of wet dirty sand. Azara stood up, angry and started to dash down the rocky sandy shore.
“Azara! I was kidding! Come back!” Rory jumped to his feet and wiped the muck out off of his cheek and out of his eyes.
Before he took off running after her, he scooped up a handful of the slimy sand under the incoming wave. It didn’t take him long to catch her, and he reached his arm back well behind his head and let the soggy missile fly at her back. Azara was turning as it hit, her eyes narrowed in rage.
“You’re a dead man, Rory Breezerunner.”
***
The sun was getting low in the sky and soon it would be setting below the horizon of the ocean. Azara was hopping around on the rocks, jumping from one to the next. Rory walked beside her, looking out down the shore, watching the way the land curved out before them. Azara was making a ridiculous amount of noise on the rocks. Pebbles were sliding all about and she was setting larger pieces off balance as she landed on them and quickly leaped off. Dried sand covered her legs all the way up to the cut pants she had on. They were made of a thick brown material and were probably one of her older siblings before they were hers. They were laced with leather along the sides of her hips and hung too low to be proper for a girl her age.
“Is it terribly different to be thirteen, Rory?” she asked, smearing dirt from her arms onto the blue shirt.
He turned and gave her an odd look. “No different than it was to turn twelve, I’m sure.”
For a moment Azara studied him. His eyes shone bright in the late afternoon. They were a shade of blue that was clearer than the water around them and light enough that sometimes they looked white. Azara slipped back into her thoughts and kicked a stone off of the boulder she was scaling.
“I don’t want to turn thirteen.”
“Why? It’s not that bad. You get to be taller,” Rory said light heartedly, but he guessed where Azara’s comments were going.
Her voice turned a slightly bitter tone, “I’d rather be short, and stay a child then turn thirteen and have to be a lady. Tarria says that when I’m thirteen I’ll have to stop acting the way I do and act like one of the ladies of the house. I’ll have to be responsible, and watch the boys instead of playing with them and…and it’ll be just awful… but I’ve got a plan!”
“So what’s your grand scheme this time?” Rory almost automatically began to roll his eyes.
Azara lit a wicked smile. “I’m going to join your ship!”
Rory stopped dead in his tracks and started up at the girl clambering off of a two-foot rock and onto the sand.
“You’re – what?”
“Going to join your ship. And you are going to get me on it.”
“I’m going to get you on it?! How am I supposed to get you on it? They don’t allow girls,” he said abashedly. She couldn’t really expect him to help on this. “It’s bad luck.”
“Who’s going to tell them I’m a girl?”
Rory crossed his arms.
“I’m not helping. Besides, you’re mom won’t allow it.”
“Who cares?! And you will help me,” she said quite firmly.
“It’s dangerous you know.” Rory puffed out his chest and jutted his chin in the air. “Man’s work.”
“Oh, garbage! You know that’s a lie. I could do just as well as you. Better even.”
Rory sighed. There was no arguing, he knew that. Once Azara had a plan the only thing you could do was go along with it until something else caught her eye. She had obviously been thinking about this for sometime. She had the look in her eyes. That look that told him if he asked the right question she would launch herself into a diatribe. Plots thicker than the sand they were walking on.
“Alright, Azara. I’ll help, what do I have to do?”
She clapped her hands together and smiled hugely. “Oh, excellent! This is going to be such an adventure, Rory!”
“I’m sure it will. Let’s hear it then.”
“First we need to cut my hair—“
“Cut your hair? What for?!” Rory said louder than he meant. “I mean, you have nice hair. For a girl. You can just put it into a ponytail. Boys do that too.”
Azara frown. “No, no. It has to go. I’ll look too much like myself if I have long hair. And I can’t be me while we do this. It won’t work otherwise. It’s a pity, but it has to be done. I’ve made up my mind. Do you have your knife?”
Rory ran a hand threw his hair, which had become quite a bit curlier since being drenched in sweat and salt water. Instead of answering he pulled open a small pouch attached to his belt. After rummaging for a moment he produced a small blade and undid it from its sheath. It was fairly sharp and would work well on her hair.
“Are you sure about this? What are you going to do once your hair is cut?”
“Dress like a boy,” she said fingering a starfish necklace she had on.
“You already dress like a boy,” he said gesturing to mud and sand soaked attire.
“Shut up. Then we’ll go find your captain. And talk him into letting me work on the ship,” she replied irritably and tucked the starfish under her tunic collar.
“You don’t know the captain, it will never work. Besides, he’s terribly strict. And disciplines the hands when they’re out of line. You don’t know the first thing about working a ship. He’ll give you lashes faster than you can run,” Rory told her matter-of-factly.
“He let you on didn’t he? And if you’re ship’s boy, I can be like the assistant ship’s boy.”
“My assistant? Well, I might like that,” he said with a smile.
“Oh, stop. Then once he says yes, we’ll sail at dawn! To adventure! To treasure! To—”
“What’s your mother going to say when you tell her you’re dressing as a boy to serve on a pirate ship?”
“She won’t say anything, because I’m not going to tell her.”
“But—“
“No, Rory. My family isn’t like yours. They’ll hardly notice I’m gone anyhow. Come on then, cut my hair.”
“Azara—“ he started.
“Azar.”
“What?”
“Get used to calling me that. Azara is a girl’s name. I’m going to be Azar now.”
“Azar. This plan is mad, you know. It isn’t going to work,” he said with a mild amount of annoyance.
“How do you know, until we’ve tried?”
Rory sighed again, he knew it wouldn’t be the last time today either. That was her motto. How do you know until we’ve tried. He’d heard it come out of her mouth so many times he couldn’t count. Azara had more up his sleeve, he was sure, that she wasn’t telling him.
“You’re still going to turn thirteen someday.”
“But not as a girl. I’ll turn thirteen as a ship’s boy and that will be brilliant!”
Rory laughed. “Come here then, sit down on that rock.”
Azara smiled triumphantly and plopped down on the boulder she had been climbing before in a very unladylike manner. Rory started to put his hand on the back of her head and paused. He rolled his eyes, he was being stupid. Hair would grow back. And by tomorrow morning Azara would have decided that she wanted to start her own farm or build a tree house and live in the forest.
He grabbed one of her blood red dreadlocks and held it out straight from her head. He bit his lip slightly and slid the blade through the thick hair. Rory did this over and over, dropping the tips of her hair into her lap. After five minutes Azara had a head of stubby dreads and a handful of what was once a long attractive mane.
Rory laughed.
And then he laughed some more. Much harder.
Azara pursed her lips. “What?”
“You…you look like a red dandelion!” Rory spurted out.
Azara slapped him on the shoulder. “You were supposed to make me look like a boy! Not a fool!” she yelled.
“Well, I can’t change who you are, Azar.”
“Not funny! Fix it!”
Rory took the blade and thinned out the locks around her ears and the back of her neck, allowing for the top of her hair to lie more flatly.
“There, now. Much better. See?” He held the blade out for her to see her reflection.
She smiled and put her hands through it. “Perfect! Let’s go!”
“Now?”
“The sooner the captain says I can come aboard, the sooner I can pack.”
Rory sighed, he knew what was coming next.
“Race?” Azara asked, eyes alight.
***
The sun was setting as Rory and Azara slapped the wall outside the Inn of the Farburn, claiming another tie.
Rory bent over, hands on his knees to catch his breath.
Azara leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. She began adjusting her tunic and removing the starfish necklace. The pair of them were already so dirty, no one who didn't know Azara would assume she was a boy. No proper girl would run around like that.
"Well? Do I pass?" she said, trying a deeper voice.
"As long as you don't talk like that you will," he replied and started to open the inn's door.
"Wait!"
"What? You're not having second thoughts about this are you?" he said with a challenging grin.
"No! 'Course not! Go on then, open the door. You won't forget to call me Azar will you? What if someone in there recognizes me?" Azara rattled on.
"No one will know you except me. You know most of the townsfolk are down the road at the Water Rogue tavern. Captain comes here because his wife owns it, don't she?"
"Oh, right. Ok. Let's go." Azara took a deep breath.
Rory opened the door and stepped in, holding it open for his dirt and sand covered companion. Azara stepped in, walking as straight and tall as she could. Inside the inn a few out-of-towners sat by a hearth eating something chunky out of wooden bowls. None of them glanced up to see the children. The room was dark and somewhat dank. Dusty wood made up the walls and the floors. They were standing in a small entryway that opened into the great room of the inn. It housed several tables and chairs. There were a few benches along the wall and a large stone fireplace. Along the long wall of the room was an unmanned bar. There were bottles covered in thick dust lining the wall behind. Next to the bar was a swing door.
In the entryway there was a large counter top in front of several small keys nailed to the wall. Behind the countertop was a hallway lit by two candles in rusty sconces high along the wall. Azara could see that at the end of the hallway was a set of stairs leading up into blackness.
The children stood in the entry a few minutes before venturing into the dinning area, looking for the captain or his wife. A few minutes later a woman pushed out of the swing door beside the bar holding a tray with a loaf of hard bread stacked on it. She eyed the pair momentarily before she swept into the dinning room and set the bread down on the table for her guests to eat.
She rounded back on them.
"What'chu want?" she said rather loudly, startling both the children and her guests.
She had on a pale peach dress. It was long, low cut and fairly well made. It matched the captain’s wife, as she was a well-made woman who carried herself with force, and faulted her best features. Over it she had tied a mint colored apron, it hung like thick rich drapes. On top of her head was a massive amount of thick black ringlets pinned up away from her face. Her sleeves were pushed up and her arms were covered with patches of flour. She wiped them off on the apron and rested them on her great hips, glaring down at the children.
“Well? Cat got your tongue? What do you boys want in here?” she said just as loud, causing Azara to take a step back.
"To see the captain, ma'am," Rory said quietly, staring up at her.
She crossed her arms and scowled. “Why? He don't want to be disturbed just now."
"Oh, but ma'am it's terribly important!" Azara burst out.
Rory shot her a dirty look and motioned for her to be quiet.
The lady was giving them suspicious looks now.
"Um. I'm the ship's boy, ma'am."
"Are you now?"
He nodded sheepishly. "And I brought my friend here, Azar, because he's wants to work on the ship too, just like me. And we sail at dawn so I thought we should ask the captain tonight..." he faltered, meeting her stern gaze. "It won't take but a moment ma'am, only it's important see because Azar needs to tell his mom about it and she's waiting up for us to come back and she wanted to help him pack and make sure he has everything and she wants to write a letter to send to her family on the main lands for him to take if he's to go, and the sun's already setting..." Rory shot the lady a wide-eyed pathetic look.
Azara thought he was brilliant. Rory always knew just want to say to people to get them to do what he wanted. Azara, herself, would never have thought to appeal to this woman as a mother. She could see that mentioning that another woman was waiting somewhere for her kid to come home had softened the lady's heart to their request. Surely they would get an audience with the captain now.
"Alright then, you two stay down here. Go sit down by the fire and warm up, both your knees are shaking. I'll tell the captain, but I ain't making no promise that he'll see you." She walked down the hall to the stairs and began to climb them.
“You’re a genius Rory!” Azara said, clasping her hands before her.
“Shhh!” Rory grabbed her forearm and hauled her over to the corner next to the fire, opposite the table full of people. “We haven’t talked to him yet. Keep your voice down. Try not to talk too much, you don’t want to give something away.”
“I know how to act, Rory,” Azara said, slightly offended. “I have brothers you know. I know what boys say.”
“But you’ve never talked to a real pirate captain before.”
“How do you know I haven’t? Maybe I talk to pirate captains all the time—“
“Azar—“
“Boys!”
Azara and Rory whipped around quickly. Rory dropped her arm and his hands flew to his sides sharply.
“He’ll see you. Follow me,” the captain’s wife turned back to the hall and began walking.
Azara turned to look at Rory and pushed him forward. He gave her a dirty look before scampering off after the woman. Azara was right on his heel, practically clutching the back of his shirt.
“Back off, would you?” he whispered.
The woman led them up the staircase and down a very narrow hallway. There were several shut doors along the right side of the hall. From behind one of them the children heard a nasty coughing sound. They quickly passed it and followed the woman’s swishing skirts through the darkness. At the end of the hall, the captain’s wife stopped, opened a door and ushered them through.
Inside, the room was lit very poorly. At the center was an old wooden table with one candle burning on it. The wax was dripping heavily onto the tabletop and the flame flickered back and forth. Just outside of the candle’s light, was the shadow of a huge man, sitting far back into a chair. The door slammed shut behind them, and the woman was gone. Azara gulped and fought the urge to grab Rory’s arm. Rory, who had seen and talked to the captain on several occasions, froze and desperately tried to think of something to say in greeting.
The captain leaned forward, smoke clouded the light of candle.
“So Rory Breezerunner, you’ve taken it upon yourself to recruit on my behalf?”
Chapter 2: Bittersweet Home
It is hard to decide what Azara first thought as she gazed at the man before her. Admittedly, it was quite dark and that added a large sinister factor to his character. And he was leaning over the candle in a way that cast dark shadows on his large features, and large features are what he had. A huge hooked noise jumped out of the middle of his head that barely covered the wide dry lipped mouth below. His forehead was long and it looked as though it would never end. Azara quickly realized that the captain’s entire head was shaved. She also quickly realized he was gapping at her with swollen bloodshot eyes shadowed by thick dark brows.
“Unless you’re going to explain yourselves, you best be leaving.”
“Sir!” Rory spurted suddenly. “Sir! I brought my friend… he wanted to join the crew. He’s quick on his feet sir, and wants nothing more than to serve under your flag.”
The captain ran his tongue over his teeth and puffed on the strong smelling cigar he had lit.
“You want to work for me, do you boy?”
Rory jabbed Azara with his elbow.
“Aye sir!”
“What’s your name?”
“Azar Starcatcher. Sir.”
“Starcatcher, aye? East coast farmers? Or of the Sevstown Starcatchers?”
Azara’s mouth opened and shut a few times trying to decide whether or not the captain knew more about her immediate family or her kin on the other side of the island before she managed to answer, “Yes sir. East coast.”
“What are you, nine? Ten summers?”
“He’s eleven sir,” Rory jumped in and gave Azara a look that said to go along with it.
“Eleven, aye… Small for eleven. Too small to work on the deck, boy.”
“But sir! I can climb… I can tie good knots… I can—“
“You can shut your yap, you can. You’re too small for the decks boy. Work hard for a few years and I might put you on them,” the captain said loudly and harshly.
“Sir? Work…?”
“Officer’s cabins. Last cabin boy fell overboard and got eaten up by a serpent.”
Azara gulped deeply again. “S-s-Serpent?”
“Aye, rather nasty business it was. But he was a fool of a child. I hope for your sake you have some common sense,” he said, rubbing a hand on his unshaven chin.
Azara heard Rory stifle a snicker.
“Aye sir. I can do the job,” she said through clenched teeth, glaring at Rory.
“I’ll hold you to that, boy. You work for me I’ll see that you have one hot square a day, and two shares of dry rations. A place to bed down and after a year, a quarter of a share in what the ship takes. Does that suit you Azar?”
“Aye sir!” Azara was beaming.
The captain stood up and walked around the table and stood directly in front of Azara, who barely came up to his stomach.
“Pack your things, Azar be at the docks before sunup. Welcome to the crew of the Spite and Malice. I’m Captain Adder Swiftstream.” The man held out a huge callused hand for Azara to shake.
She reached out confidently and took it. She shot Rory a look that said, “See I told you it would work.” And he knew he’d hear those very words out of her mouth very shortly.
“And boys…bathe before you get on my ship… you’re both filthy,” the captain added with a mild amount of mock disgust.
***
"See! I told you it would work!" Azara sang, dancing up on her tiptoes.
Rory rolled his eyes, put his hands into his pockets and began walking down the main street of Sevens Port into the market place headed to his home above the shop his family owned.
"Where are you going?"
"To bed! The sun's been down for hours now. We've got to be there early remember? See to tomorrow. And remember, pack light. You won't have a lot of room you know. Cabin boy," Rory teased.
Azara smiled back at him and took off running toward the east gate out of Sevens Port. She passed the bakery that was already dark and Sparrowsinger’s restaurant that looked empty. She ran by the Water Rogue tavern that, unlike its neighbors, was quite lively at this hour. Next door was Tristan Swordforger’s shop, filled with beautiful iron objects. The gate was just ahead of her, she sped up, the wharf and the last few shops on the town’s edge disappeared. Azara passed under the stone archway that marked the east entrance to Sevens Port.
She flew down the lane as it skirted the shoreline. Her family owned farmland along the east coast of the main island of the Escape Islands. She knew she could cut through the Henfeeder’s homestead and make it home in half the time but instead she continued along the road and ran by the Moongazer’s farm and the Sunswimmer’s orchard. She hit the bend in the road and started north. She could see fire light in the windows of her family’s home not far away. Her feet carried her off the path, like she’s done thousands of times. She ran through what was their wheat field, cold soil sprinkled with straw and dying wheatgrass the scythe missed.
Azara slowed to a halt and stared at her home. It wasn’t large. None of the houses on the Escape islands were large. There was a foundation built of stone in a large rectangle. The walls were built of wood planks all tightly notched together. It had a high, steep roof that jutted into the sky above the trees. Someone had built it, her great grandfather or farther back, Azara couldn’t remember. It had been the Starcatcher family farm since the islands were settled. The house was old and parts were falling apart. Her older brother, Harrow, was always fixing portions of it. Azara could remember that her father used to do the same. One of the few mental images she could bring up of her father was him with a hammer and nails and a piece of wood just walking along the side of the house.
Hark Starcatcher had died with Azara was six years old. Her youngest brother, Bartel was still two months from being born. Azara, Bartel and her other brother, Parlan, who was eight this summer, barely remember the man that gave them life. Harrow talked often of their father, trying to fill his footsteps in their home. Azara’s mother, Siran, still worked the farm and did her best to manage the family businesses, but Harrow was quickly learning to take over. After all, the farm would be his someday. Nelli, the oldest daughter in the Starcatcher family slightly resented that fact. She was 16, only two years younger than Harrow, and worked it just as hard. When their mother started taking over the chores Hark had always managed, Nelli was the one who started watching over the children and the household. Tarria was steadily heading in that direction herself, she was only two years older than Azara but she had already started acting like the old spinsters in Sevens Port.
Azara sighed and started walking toward the front door. She hoped everyone would be asleep or sitting in the far room and she could sneak in unseen. The door creaked as she pushed it open. Inside, a lantern was resting on the thick wooden table. Beside it the fireplace glowed with dying embers. Azara tiptoed into the house and quietly shut the door behind her. There was no one in the front room. Only the remnants of dinner. Seeing what little was left of the food made Azara realize how hungry she was. But dinner could wait.
Azara slipped across the room to the little step ladder that led up to the attic loft. She climbed it quickly and found herself in the little room she shared with her sister Tarria and her younger brothers. Bartel and Parlan were already in their small bunk beds. The walls of the room were slanted to a point. A steeple. A tiny window let in light from the night sky. If you squinted just right you could see three stars in the frame of the glass from the bed that Azara slept in. She walked quietly past the boys. They were used to Azara and Tarria coming in later than them, as the girls usually stayed up to do chores. The slept peacefully, one of Bartel’s hands flailed over the side and hanging down just above Parlan’s nose.
Under her bed she kept a small box of things she had collected over the years. Things she kept hidden from her brothers and sisters. Things that were hers and hers alone. She slid the box out and set it on the mattress. She also pulled a small satchel from the wall were her clothes hung. Into the satchel she put a few pairs of the pants and some of the lightweight linen shirts she thought would be useful in a life at sea. She also took an old leather coat that had been Harrow’s at one time. There was enough room to place a few light underclothes and some leggings.
From the box she had set on the mattress she pulled three bronze pieces and a piece of cut glass. There was a quill, two pink seashells, a little carving of a horse and scarf that had been her mother’s at one time. The quill was her father’s. She had taken it from his desk when she was four because she loved how blue it was. She remembered him being angry that it was missing, but she never told him that she has been the one to take it. Azara slipped these things into her bag. Lastly, she placed the starfish necklace that she had taken off earlier inside. She hated not wearing it, but she decided that boys didn’t often wear large necklaces like that so she’d have to keep it hidden. She liked it because it sort of looked like a birthmark she had on her upper chest. She fitted the necklace so that it would hang just over it, somehow it felt just right. She hid the bag under the bed and slipped the closed box under as well. From the wall she took a long linen nightshirt off of a peg and folded it over her shoulder.
The boys still sound asleep, Azara walked back to the ladder and climbed down. The kitchen was still empty so Azara walked to the fireplace and placed a log on the coals, coaxing it back to life. She readied a kettle of water and hung it on the hook over the flames. There was also a side door in the main room of the farmhouse. The side door opened to a path that led to the outhouse and also to a large wood tub and pump. Azara walked this path and found herself at the tub. She pumped it halfway full of clean cold ice water. She set the nightshirt she had brought out with her over the little screen that was built around the tub.
Azara paused before walking back into her home and looked up to the sky. The stars were very clear tonight, she could make several of the consolations that sailors steered by. This thought made Azara smile, soon she would be a sailor too. She walked back into the house and found a rag to take the kettle from the fire. The water inside was boiling, letting steam rise from the spout. She carefully carried the water out to the tub wear she mixed it with the cold water already there. She set the kettle down along side on the ground.
Under the stars, Azara undressed and climbed into the now warm water. Rory told her that they hardly ever get to bathe on the ship and everyone gets dirty and gross all the time. She wanted to make sure she was at least clean to start with. Besides, the captain had given her his first order ands he wasn’t about to dismiss it. She scrubbed with the bar of sweet smelling soap and did her best to wash her hair. The dirt and sand from the fight at the beach with Rory was crusted in her now stubby dreads, behind her ears and down her neck. Actually it was all over. The water was cooling off quickly and Azara reasoned she was as clean as she was going to be. She climbed out and shivered. The night air was freezing against her skin. She pulled on the linen nightshirt she had brought with her. It wasn’t very warm, but it helped against the wind.
Quickly, Azara dumped the tub onto the ground and picked up the kettle. She hurried back inside to the warmth of the fire. She stood next to the hearth for a few moments, making sure her skin and hair were completely dry. From one of the back rooms she heard rustling and quiet chatter. Azara’s mother was probably asleep now, but Harrow and Nelli were always up quite late. Both of them had rooms downstairs along with their mother. There was also a small sitting room in the back with a little wood-burning stove to heat it. Nelli and her mother usually sat in there and mended clothing in the evenings. The little boys and Azara would lie on the floor and play games. She wondered if Terria was still in there, and she wondered if they missed her. None of them came out into the kitchen to find Azara sneaking around.
She climbed the ladder once more and found that Tarria was here in bed, the blankets pulled tight around her. Azara walked to her bed and carefully took down a few pieces of her remaining clothing. She pulled on a pair of wool pants that hung down to her shins. She had to tie them up with a cloth sash. She wrapped it around her waist several times before making a tight knot. Over it she pulled on a camisole and a yellow tunic shirt. Over that she put on the leather coat. She had left the little leather strap shoes she had been wearing down by the tub, but they were falling apart anyhow. She put on instead a pair of thick stockings and some brown leather boots. They were too large for her, they had been Nelli’s not long ago, but Azara was still too small.
She lifted the satchel from under the bed and slipped it over her shoulder. Quiet as she could she snuck out of the room for the last time. She paused at the top of the ladder and looked on her brothers whom she’d miss. Bartel and Parlan were a handful, but they were such fun to adventure with. While Rory had been gone, Azara had spent most of her time with her brothers. She smiled and realized they would be just fine without her, and there would be no one to stop them from harassing Tarria endlessly. She almost laughed.
Azara climbed down the ladder steps. On the kitchen table was a plate with a few dry biscuits on it. Azara took these and slipped them into her bag. From the little shelf in the corner she took a slip of parchment and a piece of charcoal. Quickly she wrote a brief note to her mother. She loved her mother, but since her father died, Siran Starcatcher had more to worry about than paying attention to all of her children. She set the note onto the table next to the empty plate. From the store shelf, she took a few pieces of dried meat and fruit. As she was reaching to replace the jar of mummified apple pieces there was a loud rattle behind her.
She turned quickly to find Harrow had tossed a tool onto the kitchen table and was standing along the opposite side staring at her.
“What in Och have you done to your hair?” Harrow demanded.
Azara frown. “I cut it.”
He crossed to stand right next to her and yanked one of the short dreads. “I can see that. What the hell were you thinking?”
“I wanted to cut it. I didn’t think I needed your permission,” Azara said angrily pulling her hair out if his hand.
“When mother sees that you’ll be lashed for it. I can’t believe you. You know damn well that you’re supposed to be making yourself presentable. You’re almost thirteen, Azara. This is ridiculous. It’s time you start acting your age.”
“Why? So you can marry me off in a few years? Send me away, like you’re going to send Nelli in the Spring?”
Harrow sighed in frustration. “You have responsibilities to this family, Azara. You can’t live on my farm forever.”
“It’s not yours yet.”
“Don’t be stupid Azara. You should want to get married. Nelli won’t be far away and her husband will be giving us two goats. Don’t you want to help your family?”
“Not if all I am to you is two damn goats.”
“Watch your tongue!”
“You don’t!”
“I’m the man of this house, Azara. You are treading very close to pissing me off.”
“I don’t care. I don’t care what you think. And I don’t care to be a bargaining tool to improve your farm. And I don’t want to be a farmer. Or marry a farmer!”
“Go to bed, Azara.”
“No.”
“I said go to bed!”
Azara grabbed her satchel and started for the door. Harrow grabbed her upper arm and hauled her in close to him. She could smell his hot breath.
“We are on hard times, Azara. Your duty is to your family. Your duty is to obey me and your mother.”
Azara gritted her teeth. “You. Are. Not. My. Father. Harrow. Let go of my arm!”
“What’s going on?” Nelli’s sleepy high voice came from the hall.
“Go back to sleep Nelli!”
Nelli shot Harrow a scowl and turned around, going back to her room.
Harrow threw her to the floor and ran a hand threw his scruffy hair. “Your foolishness stops tomorrow, Azara. When you wake up you will dress like a proper girl. You’ll stop running around with that Breezerunner boy, and you’ll start learning the duties of a woman from your sisters.”
“Fat chance. Tomorrow I won’t even be near this house!” Azara jumped to her feet and opened the door to the night.
Harrow laughed meanly. “Oh you won’t will you? Where will you be?” he said with mock interest.
“I’m running away.”
“Likely. You won’t even make it to the other side of the island before you turn around and come crawling back. All you do is play. Your head is in the clouds. You walk out that door and I’m shutting it and barring it. Maybe a night out in the cold will wake you out of this fantasy world you live in.”
“Good-bye Harrow. I don’t expect I will see you again.” Azara sniffed. “And I don’t care. I don’t care at all.”
Azara walked out of the farmhouse, shaking in anger.
***
Chapter 3: Spite and Malice
Rory awoke well before sunrise. He opened his eyes to the darkness of his very small room. It was actually no more than a storage cabinet wedged into the loft area above the main part of the apartment. Rory laid there for a few moments, taking in the smell of the cold night air. Along one of the walls was a small little window with no glass. With one hand Rory pulled back the piece of fabric that covered the hole. A burst of wind rolled threw, rustling his hair and shirt. He stayed still for a moment.
The air brought with it the scent of the sea. The Breezerunner’s shop was just across the street from the coast of the harbor. Rory loved had loved the smell of the sea for as long as he could remember. Every morning he had done the same thing, pull back his curtain or throw open the shutters and smell the sea. He smiled to himself, he couldn’t wait to get back onto the ship and sail off into the great and vast ocean.
His bag was already packed. Everything was neatly tucked away and folded. His clothes were clean and dry. His mother had mended the items that had been damaged and even replaced a few things with clothing from his older brothers. Things that would fit him better now. He rolled over off his little pallet and sat up. There was barely enough room for him to sit straight now. He leaned over and lit a stubby candle. By its light he dressed, pulling on a pair of long blue wool pants and a tan shirt. He buttoned it quickly and pulled over it a leather jerkin. The winds would be rough leaving today and he hoped he would be warm enough.
He crawled his way over to the fabric that covered the opening to his space. He pushed it aside and dragged his bag with him as he climbed out into the small hallway. There were two other small openings into similar crawl spaces. One of Rory’s older brothers and his younger sister occupied them. His parents had felt that the children should have spaces to call their own. Even though they had little room in the apartment, his father fashioned the small rooms for them to sleep in. When they were quite small they had been more than enough, but now that Rory was thirteen and his brother was fifteen, they hardly fit. But Rory still loved his little room, and he knew his brother wouldn’t leave his until he was folded over twice inside it. His sister was still quite small and could still stand on her knees inside her room without grazing her head.
Rory climbed down the little ladder into the kitchen of the apartment. His mother was already awake and fixing a meager breakfast for him. Rory stretched and smiled at her when she turned away from the stove.
“Good morning mother!”
“Ah, Rory, I wondered how quick you would be down today. Are you excited to leave us again?”
“Oh, mother. You know I don’t like having to leave you, but I’m a ship’s boy now. I’ve got to be responsible. It’s my job.”
“I know Rory, love. But it doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye to you. Oh, come here and give me a hug.”
Rory stepped across the room and dropped his bag at the table leg. He embraced his mother strongly. She smelled like freshly baked bread and nutmeg. She smiled down at him at and rustled his hair.
“Go sit Rory, have something to eat before you go.”
Rory turned and pulled out a chair quietly. His mother was just setting slices of warm bread down in front of him when his father came through the door. Rory’s father was a tall thin man of few words. He nodded to his son and walked over to his wife. He gave her a swift kiss and started to pour himself hot water from the kettle. Mrs. Breezerunner handed him a package of herbs to make tea with. Rory grinned as his father sat down across from him. He piled on butter and jam to the bread and began stuffing it into his mouth.
Minutes later, Rory’s eldest brother entered from the same hall as his father had. Liam Breezerunner was nineteen years old and worked in the shop with his parents. It was expected of him and any wife he took to take over for them eventually. However, Rory parents made it clear that any of their children could do whatever it was they liked best. Liam loved the shop and wanted nothing more than to stay a part of it. Patrick, the middle brother spent every afternoon down at the fishing wharfs, helping the fishermen to bring in their catch for the day, saving almost every penny he made. He hoped that someday he would have his own fishing boat. Rowan, was still too young to think about anything besides dolls and playing with the other girls in town.
Rory’s mother set down a plate of boiled eggs and set to making a cup of tea for herself. Rowan and Patrick climbed down from the attic and joined the family at the table. Liam took a slice of bread and helped Rowan to the eggs. The family ate in companionable silence, smiling at one another and enjoying the breakfast Mrs. Breezerunner had prepared.
When Rory was finished he stood up quietly and put his dishes into the sink. He walked back to the table and picked up his bag. His mother stood, as well as his father.
“Well, I better get to the docks now. Captain said to be there before sunup,” he said reaching out to shake his father’s hand.
“May the Spirits bless your voyage, son. Make us proud, boy.”
“Yes father, always.”
His mother embraced him again, tears running down her cheeks. “Be safe my child. I’ll burn incense at the temple for you every day that you’re away.”
“Thank you mother. I will be.”
Liam stood up and circled around the table. He held out his hand for his brother to take. “Work hard Rory. We’ll see you when you return.”
Patrick took his hand as well and simply nodded.
Rowan leapt into his arms and squeezed his neck. “Good-bye Rory. I love you!”
Rory grinned, “I love you too, little girl. Behave yourself now and listen to your brothers. They know best.”
Rowan smiled and let him go.
Rory nodded once more to all his family and headed for the staircase that led down into the shop. The shop was dark, but his father had followed with a candle. Rory unlocked the door and began to head out into the street. He turned back to look at his father who was about to shut and relock the door.
“Be careful lad. These are dangerous times. And Captain Swiftstream is a dangerous man.”
“I will father. See you soon, captain said we’d be back to port in a few months time.”
Rory’s father nodded and shut the door.
The streets were empty for the most part. He could see activity in a few of the buildings, folks preparing for the days work. Across the street was the leather smith, Seth Hideworker, but his shop was still quiet. The tavern next door to the Breezerunner’s shop was empty and looked as though its patrons had left not long ago. Next to the leather smith was the silver smith, Jerm Quicksilver. On his second floor, lights were lit in all of the windows. Most of the artisans of Sevens Port were old families that had been working that business since the islands were settled. Descendants from the homesteads and farmlands had moved to the few towns on the islands and started up other businesses. Sevens Port was easily the largest of the towns. Sevstown was on the north coast of the main island and attracted a good crowd as well, but their market place was much smaller than this one.
Rory passed by the Apothecary and one of the clothing shops. He spared a glance at the shoe cobbler and the candle shop before he bowed his head in passing the healer’s and the Temple of the Spirits on his left. He knew he should stop and receive a blessing, but he worried he might already be late. He hurried into the market square and headed toward the docks.
He hoped that Azara would already be here, but most of him believed that she would not come. The girl was completely fickle about these things. In all the years he’d known her, she never managed to keep her attention on any one thing. The longest occupation that Azara had settled on was joining the town guard. She followed a man named Gregory Gullkeeper for a whole week asking to teach her how to fight. But then, she was seized but the urge to learn how to become a seamstress and forgot all about it. It was a pity because the town could really use more guards.
Rory stopped in his tracks and stared at the huddled mass at the end of the main dock. From the top of it was a tuft of bright red hair. Rory smiled and ran down the dock straight at her.
“You’re here!” he called when he was within earshot.
He saw her look up and start to get to her feet. Rory sputtered to a halt and smiled at her. Then he frown quickly. She looked like a mess.
“Have you been here all night?”
“Yes.”
“Why?!”
“Where else was I supposed to go? Harrow caught me and I had to leave earlier. He thinks I’ll come running back in the morning. I’ll show him. I left. I really, really left. And I’m not going back neither,” she said quite firmly. Then, in a loud childish voice asked, “Aren’t your feet cold?”
Rory, who almost never wore shoes, was standing barefoot on the dock. His toes, sort of a bluish color. He wiggled them and grinned at Azara.
“Naw, I’m fine. You, however, look awful.”
Before they had time to talk more, a group of the ships sailors made their way up the dock. Not many of the crew was from the Sevens Port area, so quite a few of them had stayed on the ship overnight or had returned there when the taverns kicked them out. Walking ahead of the group was Captain Swiftstream, looking like he had a mean night. The pirate captain was dressed completely in black. He had a black cotton overcoat with tarnished silver buttons. Under that was a pair of black serpent skin pants tucked into leather boots that went to his knees. A detail that Azara had failed to notice the night before was the intricate tattoos weaving around the back of his neck and onto the top of his shaven head. He was smoking another cigar and biting it with his teeth as he walked.
The men behind him were in similar attire. Leathers, cotton tunics, dark shirts and coats. Some of them buried their faces in hats and kerchiefs.
“Well boys, I see you made it on time.” The captain gave Azara a calculating look before he shifted his gaze out to the harbor. “And it looks as if our escort will be here as scheduled.”
Out in the bay a small boarding boat was making its way across the water to the docks. There were two men inside rowing steadily.
“Lads, this is Azar. The new cabin boy,” said the captain sinisterly and turned to look at his crew with a smile that looked like they were sharing a joke the children were not privy too.
A few of them snickered and Azara was sure she heard one of them say something about serpent bait. She wanted to tell them it wasn’t funny, but decided it would be a bad idea considering the majority of them were heavily armed. The boarding boat had pulled up along side of the dock now and one of the crew on the dock was grabbing their rope and lashing it to the nearest post.
“Good mornin’ cap’n!” one of the rowers said brightly.
“Good morning, Kieran,” the captain replied somewhat stiffly to the man, who was wearing a yellow sash around his head.
Captain Swiftstream climbed into the boat and stood at the bow, stepping one leg onto the bench. The rest of the crew started to climb in as well. There were ten men total and once everyone was situated, they turned to look at the children. Rory jumped in and crouched on the floor of the boat, he looked up at Azara and motioned for her to follow suit. Azara took one last look into Sevens Port and in the direction of her farm before clambering down onto the boat’s floor with Rory.
The little boat cast off of the dock and the rowers started rowing, steering them toward the waiting ship. The captain looked out to the sea, watching the waves. Rory was staring at Azara, who was both excited and terribly nervous. He smiled sweetly at her and wiggled his toes. Azara grinned and repositioned herself so that she was facing him as she sat. The trip out to the ship didn’t take a very long time. Soon Azara found herself staring up at the broad haul of the Spite and Malice.
The Spite and Malice was a wall of hard wood in rich medium brown tones that Azara recognized to be Angelique. It certainly wasn’t a wood that grew anywhere on the Escape Islands. The ship was rising and falling lighting on the small waves that were rolling through the harbor. The ship itself was a square topsail schooner with two aft reaching masts. Azara leaned as far back as she could to look at the sails. Thousands of square feet of were in the process of being hauled up the lines. The jibs and the staysail wavered in the wind straining against the lines running out across the bowsprit. Looking almost as strained was the neatly carved figurehead. She was a gorgeous mermaid painted in reds and golds. Her arms reached back as though she were trying to hold the ship back from springing into the ocean before it was ready.
Azara was staring wide-eyed and jaw dropped before a sudden jolt knocked her backward onto her backside. She saw Rory laugh and cover it with his hand. The small boat was being pulled up the side of the haul, with it’s passengers still inside. The rest of the crew did not look shaken at all, they sat comfortably and looked up. Azara was holding onto the floor as best she could, afraid to look over the side or even go near it, least they all toppled over into the water. Rory shook his head and smiled.
There was a complicated set of pulleys hoisting them up and a few men on ropes. When the small boat was secured along the side of the rail, Captain Swiftstream stepped aboard his ship. He walked a few feet, looking at the crew who had assembled. Some were still working, hoisting sails and securing lines. The other men in the small boat started to board the ship as well. They jumped over the rails and landed with heavy thuds onto the planks of the deck. Rory pulled himself over the edge of the boat and into the ship. He turned to look at Azara, making a move to help her but she shook her head.
She was supposed to be a boy and a boy wouldn’t accept help over a measly rail. She took a hold of the ship’s railing firmly. Cautiously, she pulled one of her legs over the edge and flattened herself against it on her stomach. How she managed to fall over and roll down onto the deck, she wasn’t quite sure. But when she untangled herself from her satchel and start to get up she found that most of the crew assembled were staring at her. She stood up quickly.
The captain laughed.
“Men, that’s young Azar. He’ll be acting as cabin boy on this voyage. Replacin’ little Lumn… fool of a child.”
A few of the men gave her glares that would skin a cat. A few of them looked at her with mild annoyance. The captain started speaking again and everyone seemed to ignore her completely. As though she had been a rather large bug that had drawn their attention for the moment and was now nothing but a flutter at the edge of their vision.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Captain Swiftstream barked.
He turned to two men who were standing apart from most of the crew. One was in a brown leather long coat belted shut. The other was wearing a billowing white shirt that was haphazardly tucked into a pair of dark blue pants that pooled at his knees, overflowing onto black boots.
“Windglider! Boarkiller!”
“Aye captain!” they both yelled immediately.
“Are your men ready?”
“Aye sir!” both said together.
“Moongazer!”
“Aye sir!” a skinny little man replied, stepping out of the crowd.
“Report.”
“Weather looks good, sir. No rain in sight. Strong breeze due east, sir. Some whitecaps and a little spray. Sir.”
“Good. Good. Weigh anchor, men. Put up the colors. I’ll take the helm.”
The crew dispersed quickly, tending to their jobs. Suddenly she was awash in a flurry of moment. Men were scurrying into the rigging, dashing across the deck. Rope was being hauled, sails were everywhere.
“Oi, Rory! The colors!” the man called Boarkiller called.
Rory jumped and ran off to follow, tossing his bag into a corner. Azara was left standing alone, leaning against the railing next to the small boat. It seemed like everyone had forgotten her. And here she knew nothing about helping to take a ship out of a port. She started scanning the crew, looking for someone she could help. A rope she could pull. Something that needed to be tied. Anything. She just wanted to be a part of it.
“AZAR!” the captain yelled from the other side of the deck.
“AYE CAPTAIN!” Azara yelled at the top of her lungs and hurried to meet him.
“I told you, you were too small for the decks, boy. You’ve a job to do in the cabins anyhow,” the captain started walking briskly toward a steep set of stairs behind the main mast.
Instead of heading up them, he reached for a door that was wedged shut in the center of the wall. He pushed Azara inside and just before slamming the door shut again he said, “Start cleaning up in there and I’ll be back to talk to you about your duties,” and with that, he was gone.
Azara stood alone, inside what appeared to be a sort of dining room with her little satchel. It was a narrow rectangular room with a table down the center. The table was thin and surrounded by only three chairs. She looked around for a moment trying to let her eyes adjust to the darkness. The ship started moving, Azara could feel it. She slid forward and grabbed onto the table for balance. The floor below here was rocking and small objects that she couldn’t see in the dark were beginning to roll around.
Chapter 4: Duties
“Spirits curse this!” she yelled without thinking.
Serving her right, she immediately tripped and fell into one of the chairs.
She grumbled under her breath and struggled to stand again. There had to be a candle somewhere in the room and Azara was going to find it. She started feeling around on the table and the sideboards until her fingers discovered a small lantern. She opened the glass and found there was still a small candle inside. She pulled from her bag a small set of firestones. They were two perfectly round rocks, one grey and one black. Azara stuck them together with the wick in between. The room was thrown into soft flickering light.
She picked up the lantern and started making her way around the room. The sideboards were in disarray. There were dishes and papers laying everywhere. Empty bottles of wine were discarded in the corners. Over the table was a sort of sticky film and the chairs were greasy. Azara made a disgusted face.
“Men!” she said bitterly.
Along the walls of the room were four doors. She decided it was best that she try them and learn her way around if she was going to be stuck in the cabins all of the time. She tried the first one, closest to the door on her right as she faced the back of the room. The door opened to a very small stateroom with one bed taking up the majority of the space. There were a few built in drawers below the bed and some shelves in the wall. A man’s things were scattered about and the bed was unkempt. Azara shut the door.
She tried the next that stood beside the stateroom door. This one led to what looked like a very small washroom. The room was as wide as the stateroom next door, but much longer. It stretched back past the rear wall of the dining room to the very rear of the ship. There was a cabinet with two clay bowls sitting on top. They looked to be set inside little holes that held them in place. Between them was an empty pitcher. Lashed to the beams above were two cruddy mirrors, a greasy film on them so thick that you could hardly see yourself. The only redeeming quality the room had, was the fact there was one window along the back wall that let in some of the early morning light. Azara stepped back out of that room and shut the door.
Across the way were two other doors. She walked over to the one across from the stateroom, only to find it was another stateroom, only slightly larger. It had room for a bed, and one chair. Built into the wall was a small desk under similar shelves as the other room. This room wasn’t as much of a mess, but it was still dank and dirty. The whole place needed a good scrub down as far as Azara could tell. She shut the door and went to the last.
This door led to what was obviously the captain’s cabin. It was in the shape of a large L, winding back behind the dining area and meeting up against what was the wall of the washroom. There were three windows along the back wall, letting in much more light. Azara set down the lantern on a small desk that was pushed up against the wall across from the door. It was covered in scattered papers, quills and an assortment of navigational equipment. A thick leather bound book lay open, on closer inspection Azara found that it was the ship’s log. There was a chair pushed into it, upholstered with dark brown leather. She walked past it and around the corner. Along the wall with the windows, that slanted back, there was a built in bed unit. It had a larger mattress than the others did, and seemingly better blankets. However, they were still a mess. Pulled every which way. There were drawers built in underneath, one of which was pulled half way out with clothing stuffed inside. Along the walls were various shelves filled with books and trinkets. And there was one painting hanging above the desk. It was a painting of the captain’s wife and a small child. His wife looked very young in the painting, Azara hardly recognized her if it weren’t for the mass of black hair.
She decided it would be best to start to work. She had to show the captain how competent she was if she was going to be allowed to work on the desk. So she smiled and set to work on the bedding. She tucked the corners in tight and crisp like her mother always did. Then she folded the extra blankets and set them at the foot of the bed. Next she set to taking all of the captain’s clothing and linens out of the drawer. She began refolding them so they would fit in the drawers and allow them to shut. When this was done she moved on to the shelves around the room. Setting books upright and putting the papers into neat stacks.
The ship continued to rock, but it was a lot less noticeable. Azara started to muse to herself as she was cleaning, just what Rory was doing. Was he getting to climb the rigging? Was he running about on the deck helping the hands to control the sails? Perhaps he was set as lookout, high up the foremast. She sighed and cursed being small and a girl. She set to work on the desk, which was easily the messiest thing in the room. She started sorting through the papers, trying to organize them the best she could. Azara could read and write, but not especially well. She closed the ships log and put all of the quills into the top drawer with the inkpots.
When this was done she was sure that was about all she could do in the captain’s cabin without real cleaning supplies. What she really needed were scrubbing brushes and a few rags. And some soapy water. She was just thinking about creating a list of things when she heard the door open from the main deck. She hurried out of the cabin and back into the dining area.
“Well runt, looks as though I get to ‘show you around,’” said the man in the billowing white shirt. The man named Windglider.
“I’m the second mate, in case you didn’t pick up on that,” he told her roughly.
She hadn’t, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. She nodded and set the lantern onto the table for him to take if he wanted.
“You look in all the rooms then?”
“Aye, sir.”
“This one here,” he said, tapping the door to the smaller of the two staterooms, “is mine. That one there belongs the Mate, Boarkiller. And I’m sure you figured out the room you was just in was the captain’s. The last room’s so as we can clean up a bit. The room where in here, is the officer’s cabin. It’s where we eat. You’ll be getting our food for every meal, and whenever we ask for it. You’ll be serving it to us here. And you’ll be making sure you clean in all of these rooms, everyday. You’re also to be around in case any of the off duty officers needs to send a message to the one on duty. So you won’t be sleeping down with the rest of the crew.”
Windglider walked over to the back of the room and held the lantern up high so Azara could see what he was standing by. Along the back was a bit of a shelf, or alcove about waist height. It wasn’t very much room and there was a very shabby looking blanket shoved into it.
“This is your space then. If we need you, you better be here. Got any questions, runt?”
“Are there any cleaning supplies? Soap? Brushes?”
Windglider laughed. “Oh yeah, we got plenty of those. Talk to your friend Rory, he knows where they are.”
With that, he turned and set the lantern down on the table and walked back out of the officer’s cabin, leaving Azara alone again.
She watched the door for a moment longer and then went to inspect her little niche. She pulled the blanket out and shook it a few times. It smelled musty and damp. She folded it as tight as she could and pushed it back into the hole. She decided to try it out. She set her satchel on the ground and hoisted herself into onto the little shelf area. She leaned back into the cut hole against her blanket. It was fairly tight, but she fit. It was no worse really than the little room Rory had, half it’s size, but she didn’t need to roll around or anything. She shimmied her way back out and pulled her satchel off the floor and pushed it back until it was hidden by shadow.
She moved to the table and arranged the chairs better. After that, there really wasn’t much else she could do without cleaning supplies. If she had a rag she could wash the windows in the captain’s cabin and the washroom to let in more light. With a broom she could sweep up the dust and salt that were tracked all over the floorboards. If she had a bucket and a brush she could clean off the wood and the table. It would really cheer the place up, she reasoned. Perhaps if she could just go out and ask Rory where to find them, she’d be able to get to work.
Azara threw open the door to the main deck and instantly threw up her hands over her eyes. The brightness of newly risen sun was almost blinding. Azara’s eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the officers’ cabins and weren’t ready to face the day. She gave herself a moment before removing her hand and squinting out at the ship.
Rory was starboard coiling rope when he saw Azara emerge from the cabin, covering her face with a sleeve of her coat. He watched her gaze around the ship stupidly. He continued to coil the rope until she saw him and started running his direction. The rest of the crew were tending to the sails and were all but ignoring the children. Soon the captain and the other officers would split into shifts and the crew along with them. There would be a lot fewer men on the decks then, and everything would be far less chaotic. Azara was dodging men, and ropes and the fore boom that was swinging around them. He kept loosing sight of her behind the billowing canvas.
Then suddenly, she was standing right before him. Her red hair a blaze in the early morning sun. She was grinning like a mad man and her hazel eyes were bright and wide.
“This is amazing! Just look at the sails! Look how fast we’re going! Look at the water!” Azara started speaking entirely too quickly and hanging off over the edge of the rail.
“What are you doing out here Azar? Don’t you have work to do?”
“Yes… I mean, aye! I have work, but I need something to clean with. Windglider said you’d know where to find them.”
Rory sighed. He really ought to give her a tour of the ship so she knew where everything was, but he was on duty at the moment and needed to continue working. He set down the coil and stood with his hands on his waist.
“Alright then. I’ll show you where they are, and when I’m off of watch I’ll show you the rest of the ship. Does that suit you?”
“Aye! Perfectly.”
Rory flashed a crooked grin and whispered so Azara could just barely hear him, “Race?”
And he took off running down the deck toward the bow of the ship. Azara fought to repress a giggle that she was sure would sound very girl-like. She took off after him half bewildered. There was no way she could win if she didn’t know where they were going, but then, they hardly ever did. She dived under the fore boom and its vast sails.
Rory raced for the hatch just before the forecastle of the ship. He knew Azara was still several paces back so he had enough time to throw it open before she got there. He climbed down the little ladder nimbly, as he had done so many times before. Azara was much less graceful coming down. Her feet missed a rung here and there and she slipped down and landed heavily onto the below deck. They found themselves standing in the main cabin that served as sleeping quarters and saloon for the crew. Rory waited until he was sure Azara was ready before he took off again, tossing himself up into a small doorway in a bulkhead. Inside it was mostly dark, but there was enough light coming through the little windows high up on the ceiling breaking though the forecastle deck.
Azara jumped inside just in time to hear Rory say, “First!”
“Where are we?”
“The galley. Here look, see this cabinet here?” Rory pointed out a thick wood cupboard that was built into the wall on the larboard side of the galley.
“Aye.”
Rory unlatched and opened one of the doors revealing a set of buckets and grubby brushes. There were a few rags and a bar of thick of nasty smelling soap.
“Is that it?”
“It’s the best we’ve got. I’ve got to get back now. You can handle everything on your own, right?”
“Right. I can. Of course I can.”
Rory speedily departed. He took the steps of the ladder two at time and emerged back onto the deck. He looked out over the rail for a few moments. The ship was well beyond the harbor of Sevens Port now. He could see the Far Island, as well as Lower Island. They were headed south and would turn east as soon as they got past Far Island. Right now they were following the south coast of the main island. If Azara had been on the deck she would recognize the Moongazer’s farm out on the tip of the land.
Fortunately for the both of them, the Moongazer that was in the crew, Battle Moongazer, was of their Far Island kin. He wouldn’t recognize Azara as the girl next door. Most of the main island crew were from the western side or the Sevstown area. So Rory reasoned they were safe.
He set himself back to work. He could see that the mates were setting the watches. He was always on first watch so he knew he had another three hours of good work to do before he would be off. The captain had it set so that each watch was on duty for four hours and off for eight. That way you ended up with two watches during a twenty-four hour period and enough time to get rest. Rory would be on watch until ten this morning and then off until six in the evening. The watch was marked by ring of a bell up off of the main mast. The officer in charge of the watch would ring it once to signal that a new watch would be starting ten minutes before the hour. Two rings meant the changing of the watch. By then the new hands would already be in position and ready to take over.
Captain Swiftstream was the officer in charge of the first watch. He stood by the helm looking out over the water. He enjoyed steering his own ship and often stayed at that post during his watch. The next best helmsman was placed on the second watch. Of course, if the captain called all hands, then regardless of whether you were on duty or not, you had to come to the deck and pitch in. It was usually during times of departure or to put on or take down canvas. The ship typically ran quite smoothly.
However, Rory wasn’t sure how having Azara aboard would affect it.
Presently, she was emerging form the hatch with what looked like all of the cleaning equipment. She had a broom and a mop held together over one shoulder. Balancing on that were two buckets, each filled with rags and brushes. Along her waist she had tied a length of rope and lashed on another bucket. He rolled his eyes, watching her try to make her way across the waist of the ship back to the officers’ cabins. She had yet to gain any sort of sea legs. She teetered back and forth with the waves upsetting her steps. The buckets all knocked against one another and the rags began fluttering with the wind. Azara was ducking in and out of the crew, hitting most of them at least once with one of the items she was carrying.
Rory heard the crew yelling, calling her “Runt” and “Swab” as she passed under their feet. He remembered that when he had first come onto the ship the crew had called him swab too. Before he earned a nickname. The crew mostly called him Scudd for his tendency to climb up into the rigging and hang in the wind during his free time. Rory set the coil of rope down and went to look for something else that needed to be done.
***
Azara dropped the first bucket directly inside of the door to the officers’ cabins. The second fell before she made it to the table. After that, everything just sort of escaped from her arms. She scrunched her face in frustration and picked up one of the buckets. It was old, and slightly scummy. It had a tattered rope for a handle which she tugged a few times to make sure it was sound before heading back out onto the deck.
She needed to fill it full of water and she reasoned the only way to do that was to pitch it over the side of the ship and haul it up by hand. She spied the rope that Rory had been messing around with when she had first come out on the deck. She immediately uncoiled it and tied one end to the bucket’s rope handle. She let it slide down the side of the ship, holding tightly to the rope. It seemed like it took forever to reach the water. It bounced violently when it first it the surface of the ocean and then sunk under rapidly once it got some water into it. Azara braced herself and tried to remain steady as the cord jerked. She started to heave, pulling the rope up as slow as she could so as not to spill any of the water.
She finally got the bucket back up to the rail and pulled it over the side. She set it at her feet and undid the soggy rope. She carried the bucket back the officers’ cabin with great effort. It was heavy and sloshed everywhere. She set in just inside the door and grabbed one of the other buckets. She took that one back out to draw more water aboard. She left the rope and went back into the cabin.
She took the third bucket and emptied some of the water from each bucket into it. Evening out all three with a water line low enough that it wouldn’t overflow if she put the brushes into it. In one she dropped the bar of soap and took one of the brushes and started agitating the water and the soap, working up a decent lather.
First she set to cleaning the main officer’s cabin. She scrubbed the table and wiped it clean with one of the rags. She scrubbed each of the chairs down and began on the floor. By the time she was done with that, the water in the first bucket was filthy. She set down the brush and walked back out onto the deck, lugging the bucket with her. She brought it over to the rail where she found Rory coiling rope again.
“Didn’t you just do that?”
Rory gave her a dirty look. “Someone used it to haul water without coiling it again.”
“That’s too bad,” she said with a smile, dumping the dirty water overboard.
“Meet me here after watch,” he said to her as she was walking back to the cabin.
“Aye!” she called over her shoulder.
Rory rolled his eyes and continued coiling the rope.
Once back in the cabin, Azara set the empty bucket aside and took one of the clean ones with her into the captain’s cabin. He was on watch currently, so she would be able to clean his rooms without interruption. She was sure at least one of the mates was in their room, but didn’t want to disturb them. The first thing she did was go to scrub the windows clean so there would be more light. She took one of the dry rags and dunked it into the soapy water. She rung it out so it wouldn’t drip onto the captain’s bedding. She started with the window closest to the starboard side of the ship. It took quite a bit of effort to get the caked on crud off of the panes of glass, and when she had finished it wasn’t all that much lighter.
Most of the dirt and scum was on the outside of glass. Azara sat for a moment looking at the windows. She began to reason whether or not she could figure out a way to clean the outside of the windows. She couldn’t figure out if they opened or not. There didn’t seem to be any hinges or locks. She decided she would ask the captain if she could try to make some sort of contraption to hang off the stern and clean the windows. They couldn’t be too far down from the back rail up there. And they were well off the water so she should be safe. She could get a rope maybe, and make a swing. Or use a post and tie one of the brushes onto the end and lower it.
Azara heard the door open outside the room. She wondered if it were one of the mates leaving or coming in. She decided to stay put and not run out to check. She abanonded the idea of cleaning the outside of the windows, as there wasn’t a lot she could do about it now. She moved on to cleaning the rest of the surfaces in the captain’s cabin. At least she could get that done on this watch.
***
“Alright, are you ready?” Rory asked looking quite serious.
Azara took a deep breath. “Yes, ok. I’m ready.”
“Ok, we’re going to start at the bow, and you can’t forget anything. I’m going to make you come back over everything and tell me what it is.”
“Rory!”
“No, I’m sorry, but you have to know these things if you’re going to be a sailor,” Rory said holding his hand out to her objection.
“Pirate,” she said smartly.
“Pirate,” he relented.
Azara smiled.
“Here we go. We are standing on the forecastle deck,” Rory said as he gestured to the deck planks they stood on at the fore of the ship.
They were standing facing the bowsprit as it reached out over the water. Standing out there made Azara feel like she was flying. The sails above them were full and the ship was moving with great speed over the water, heading due east away from the Escape Islands. The water was turquoise and the sky was as blue as Rory’s eyes. Rory looked as thrilled to be standing on the forecastle in the midday as she.
“And that is the bowsprit,” he said, pointing at the large round timber jetting out over the water.
“I know that,” Azara replied impatiently.
“I know you know that, but we’re doing this methodically. The sails on the bowspirit are the staysail, the jib and the flying jib. See how the staysail has its own boom and attaches to the fore mast just before the topsail? And the jib is attached way out on the end of the bowspirit… actually it has an extension, sort of, that’s called the jib boom. And the flying jib is attached to it too but its rope goes all the way up to the fore topmast. The jibs and the staysail are all triangular.”
“Got it… Flying jib out on the tip, jib in the middle and staysail is the large one,” Azara said, counting them out on her fingers.
“Good! Ok ready to dissect the fore mast?”
Azara smiled hugely. “Do we get to climb it?”
“Of course!” Rory called as he turned and ran to the base of the mast as it stuck out of the forecastle deck.
Azara ran to catch up and stopped short, staring up at the slightly slanted post. It was incredibly thick, she didn’t think she would be able to wrap her arms around it.
“It’s made from fir trees. Same as the decking. Alright, you know this is the fore mast. And you know that’s the fore boom with the foresail attached. It’s not very complicated. Pretty much any word you can think of and add fore in front of it and it’ll be here,” Rory said with a grin.
He put his hands onto the rope lines that stretched up the mast that looked like a long and narrow rope ladder. He began climbing. Azara could tell he was going slowly, for her sake. She grabbed a hold of the rope and started pulling herself up after him.
He called down, “These are the ratlines. It’s sort of like a ladder for us to climb aloft. We can work on the sails here. Those ropes out there, the ones that connect down to the rails are called the shrouds. You can climb those too. They’ll take us up to the crow’s nest.”
“Oh! That’s so exciting! I’ve always wanted to sit up in the crow’s nest of a ship. Hey Rory, do you remember that time we were climbing that huge tree over near the Cropduster’s farm?”
“Yeah, sort of, why?”
“Well, we got nearly to the top and I started to get really dizzy and the tree was going back and forth in the wind quite a bit and then I lost my footing and then I slipped down like four or five limbs of the tree,” she babbled.
“Oh yeah, I forgot about that,” Rory said with a laugh, “You were terrified.”
“You don’t think I’ll fall off of this do you? Because there were a lot of heavily leafed boughs that caught me last time, but there’s not really anything here to catch someone…”
“Oh Azara…I mean, Azar, you’ll be just fine. Remember what you told the captain? You can climb, you said.”
“I know what I said Rory, but really there should be some sort of safety harness… maybe tie a rope from the top around our waist or something and then if we did slip, you would just swing around until someone got you…”
“Swing right into the mast you mean? Swing right into the sails? Get caught in the ropes and probably hang yourself? I don’t think so Azara. Just keep your footing and hold tight, and there isn’t an incredibly strong wind today, so I don’t think you’ll have too much to worry about…see look were almost to there.”
Rory pulled himself onto the small wooden platform that was about three quarters of the way up the mast. Under it the staysail and the jib were attached. As well as something that looked like another boom. Azara grabbed a hold of the platform and tried to get herself on top. Rory grabbed a hold of her wrists and started to help pull her.
“I can do it! Don’t help,” she said somewhat angrily.
“Sorry,” he replied shortly.
“No, it’s just that, if you help me all of the time someone might figure out I’m a girl. You wouldn’t help another boy up would you?”
“Sure I would, why wouldn’t I? You’re part of the crew now. Wouldn’t want to loose a crewmember. If you fell, you’d either hit the deck and probably break most of the bones in your body or snap your neck pretty good, or you’d fall into the water and well, from this height, it might as well be solid ground. Probably knock yourself out and drown before anyone could get to you,” he said with a shrug.
“You’re wonderful at this confidence building thing,” Azara said, giving Rory a nasty look.
“Thanks,” Rory grinned again. “Seriously though, the rest of the crew helped me out for a while until I got used to things, so I wouldn’t worry so much. Worry about not falling. I don’t think anyone will start suspecting you’re a girl anyhow.”
“Whys that?”
“Well, look at you. Flat as any of the planks down there and you can swear better than I can.”
Azara cuffed him upside the head. “Thanks Rory. Thanks a lot.”
“What? It’s true,” he said, rubbing his temple. “You have a horrible mouth on you. My mother said you were a bad influence.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Both leaning against the mast, Rory facing the stern and Azara facing forward. She tucked her legs up against herself and stared out at the wide ocean around them. It would be a few days before the main continent would come into view. So for the time being, if felt like they were truly alone. One ship in all the world. And Rory and Azara, alone on top of it.
“I’m not a bad influence.”
“You talked me into lying and getting you aboard a ship posed as a boy,” he said simply.
“Yes, but, well that’s not all that bad is it?” she said slightly offended.
“Naw, I like the company. I only got to talk to the other cabin boy for a short time before he got himself eaten up.” She could hear the teasing in his voice.
“Are there a lot of serpents?”
“Not a lot, but all of them have a taste for cabin boys,” he said with a laugh.
“Good thing I’m a girl then,” she replied with a smile on her lips.
“Yeah, good thing.”
The wind was making her hair fly about her head, the little dreadlocks were smacking against the mast. Rory’s hair was flying forward around his face. He brushed his hands through in and tried to push some of it back, but the force of the wind kept it plastered there. He looked down and watched the second watch below on the deck. He knew that they would have to leave soon and return to the deck. Harlen Harehunter, the lookout for the second watch would need to come aloft to check for any ships on the horizon.
“Below your feet is the lower yard for the fore topsail. See it?” he asked.
“Yes. What about the one by you? Is that the upper yard for the foresail?”
“No, it’s called the fore gaff. But it does hold the top of the foresail up at an angle like it is. The sail is sort of a skewed rectangle-“
“Trapezoid.”
“What?” He turned to look at her.
“It’s called a trapezoid. A skewed rectangle,” she said matter-of-factly.
“Oh. Anyway the fore topsail is just above you and it’s attached to the topsail yard. And the very tip of the mast is called the fore topmast. Now, we’re not going to be able to go climb the main mast so come turn around and look here.”
Azara turned onto her knees and scooted up next to Rory near the edge of the platform. Rory pointed at the top of the mainmast.
“That’s the jack yard. See how the flag’s hanging off it?”
On the jack yard was a black flag with a large white snake coiled on it. It was wavering in the wind, giving the snake artificial life.
“Those are the ship’s colors. Right now we just have ours. But sometimes we’ll put up another country’s so we can get close to other ships. Just below that is that main topsail. It’s different because it’s triangular and attaches to the top of the main gaff and doesn’t have its own yard like this one. Also, the main topmast staysail sort of runs between the masts, see? It’s attached a few feet below the jack yard, and then goes right here, just above my head, see? And the other corner its down about halfway on the main mast. Under the main gaff is the—“
“Mainsail, attached to the main boom. Got it. Seems to be a bit of a pattern here,” Azara said a bit bored.
“Now you’re catching on like a real sailor. Let’s head down,” Rory grabbed a hold of the ledge and swing over it and disappeared.
Azara gasped and leaned over the edge, Rory was already half way down the ratlines. She pursed her lips and carefully lowered herself kicking her legs to feel for the ropes. Once she had good footing she slipped her body down and grasped the rope firmly. She clung there a moment with her eyes closed collecting herself before she started climbing down. Going up something was always so much easier. The going down part was far more difficult.
She finally reached the bottom and found an impatient looking Rory. “You’ll make a terrible ship’s boy if you don’t learn to do that faster.”
“It was my first time! And my foot got hooked round the rope funny.”
“I’m sure it did. Come on now. Can’t stay on the forecastle forever. We’ve got the rest of the ship to see.” He headed down the small set of steps onto the main deck and stood next to the hatch that they had gone down earlier. “Well do you want to go below decks first, or see the sterncastle?”
“Let’s go below.”
“Alright, down the hatch then.” Rory gestured for her to go first.
Azara struggled to lift the hatch door but eventually got it open. She climbed down the small ladder and waited for Rory at the bottom. He followed, closing the hatch after him. It immediately became much darker. But Azara could see that there were small lanterns at various places in the cabin and the glow of a fire on the wall toward the bow of the ship. It was a descent sized hearth with a small stack of wood next to it.
Rory was standing next to her and pulled her toward the galley. They stepped through the same door in the bulkhead next to the fireplace.
“Alright, you already know that this is the galley. Well this is the ship’s cook. Simon Sparrowsinger. His brother owns that restaurant down by the wharf. You’ve seen it. Hello Simon, what’s on the menu today?”
Simon, who was leaning next to what appeared to be the other side of the fireplace. The hearth extended through the wall, with access to the flames on either side. On the galley’s side there was and iron top allowing for Simon to cook over. Simon, who was dressed in baggy blue clothing and a dirty white apron, grunted. He had a thick black beard and a disgruntled disposition. Azara tried to smile at him, and held out her hand.
“Azar, sir. Pleasure to meet you.”
Simon grunted again and mumbled in their general direction, “Get me an onion.”
Azara found this to be a sort of strange greeting. But Rory instead took a hold of her arm and pulled her toward another hatch in the floor.
“This will be fun. We’re going down to the hold.”
Azara smiled mischievously as he opened the hatch door and hopped down. He moved aside enough for Azara to join him. They were both crouched on the wooden planks of the hold’s deck. It was nearly pitch black and completely claustrophobic.
“We can’t bring a light down here, too much of a chance to start a fire. So you have to memorize were everything is. This compartment holds all of the food. See the beams up here, you can count those as you go. The first beam, where we are has the grain bags and the crate of hardtack.” Rory started crawling forward. “And the second beam here has the potatoes…and the third beam has the onions! See, it’s pretty easy, once you know where everything is.”
Azara had crawled up next to him under the third beam, which was completely dark. She felt around and hit Rory’s hand before she found the burlap bag containing the onions.
“Get one out would you?” Rory asked.
Azara fished around for the opening and after a few moments pulled out what felt like a very large onion.
She heard Rory start to crawl back toward the hatch opening. She followed, holding tight to the onion. When they reemerged from the hatch into the galley, Simon was waiting with his hand out. Azara handed him the onion before she even climbed back out. Rory grabbed her hand and pulled her out and shut the hatch door. He stood on top of it and pointed to the bulkhead at the back of the galley.
“This separates the galley from the cable locker. If you open that little door there, you can get inside. It’s full of cords and ropes and spare anchors and the like. Then there’s little storage cabinets on either side. There’s a few tools and miscellaneous things there. Come on, let’s go back into the main cabin. Nice to see you again Simon. I certainly missed your cooking while I was ashore,” Rory said cheerfully, patting Simon on the back before he stepped out of the door.
Simon scowled.
Azara made an attempt at a smile and followed out of the galley. When she got to the other side, she found Rory had a lantern in his hand and was waiting for her.
“This way.”
He started to lead he through the main cabin. All around her men were sleeping or lounging about. A lot of them had hammocks made from bits of cloth or rope tied up into the support beams. A few men were leaned up against the haul, patching clothing or playing card games under low lantern light. Rory led her back past all of them, past the where the mast came through the ceiling and back to another bulkhead. There was another door there and Rory opened it.
He stepped inside and illuminated the small space at the very stern of the ship.
“It’s the weapons store. There are other tools back here too, and equipment.”
Along the walls were several swords and knives. There were clubs and large hammers. There were long chisel like hammers, pitch ladles and various iron tools Azara had never seen. There were also several sized axes hanging on the wall.
“Wow. One could do a lot of damage with all of this.”
“Some of it’s for repairs, though.”
“Yeah, some. But I warrant you can used almost all of them for violence.”
“Yeah, probably. Come on, let’s see the sterncastle now.”
“Alright. Lead the way, boy.”
Rory grinned and climbed out of the small cabin. He shut the door and walked back toward the ladder leading out of the main cabin. Azara could hear men moving around in restless sleep. Grumbling at the intrusion of the light. She followed Rory up the ladder and back onto the main deck. Nothing seemed to be a stir, the crew of the second watch were carrying about their duties without much trouble. Rory lead her back past the main mast to the steep steps on the other side of the door leading into the officers’ cabins. He climbed up them quickly and disappeard.
Azara climbed up after him and found herself on another deck.
“This is the quarterdeck. Tallest deck on this ship.”
Azara turned and looked down on the main deck and the forecastle deck below. You could see almost all of the activity on the ship from there. She reasoned that was way the first mate was standing nearby.
The mate, Rally Boarkiller, who came from one of the other ports of the Escape Islands, Upper Mirror, was standing a few feet from Rory, his attention on the decks below. He was still wearing the tattered leather long coat, belted tightly. At his side was a cutlass in a scabbard. The design looked well made and quite expensive, but it was very old. Perhaps passed down though the family. Rally had his hands clasped behind his back and a stern look on his face.
Azara had not had much interaction with the man yet. And preferred to keep it that way. She turned and looked toward the stern. There was another man there, at the helm. He was wearing a red kerchief on his head and had on a faded tan tunic.
“This is the helm over here. Usually it’s only the captain, Horserider here,” he indicated the man currently at the helm who nodded curtly, “or a man called Gragg. No one else really steers the ship. The mates all know how, of course,” Rory said offering a grin to the mate, who ignored it.
Azara walked past the helmsman to the rail at the stern. She leaned over and looked down at the wake of the ship and the huge rudder underneath them. Rory joined her, leaning on his elbows a few inches away from her. He was staring out back in the direction of their home. The stood for a good five minutes looking at the water and their departure from the Escape Islands.
“What you thinking about Rory?” Azara asked.
“Just that the Spirits blessed us with an excellent day to start our voyage. And the start of the voyage is the most important. Why, what are you thinking about?”
“That if we attach two ropes… one at each corner post… then I could make sort of a harness using two belts and perhaps some cloth or extra sail. Then I could hang of the stern here and really get those windows clean…”
Rory rolled his eyes and stood up straight. “Come on, let’s get some of Simon’s award winning salmagundi.” Then he added under his breath, “Hanging off of the stern to clean windows. You’re mad.”
“I could do it! You don’t believe me? I’m going to draw up some schematics and ask the captain. I bet he’ll believe me. I bet he wants his windows cleaned and he’ll praise me for my thankless efforts to improve the cleanliness of this ship.”
“In all of Och, Azar. Why? Why do I have you as my friend?”
“Because life would be dull without me.”
Rory sighed, “This is true. Dull and safe. Come on, that stew isn’t getting any more edible.”
Chapter 5: Lessons with the Captain
The children climbed down the steep steps to the main deck and walked over to the hatch. Rory climbed down first and went straight into the galley. Around the base of the hatch men were lounging around on a few built in benches along the ship’s walls eating out of little wooden bowls. Azara walked in after Rory and found him handing her a similar bowl full of a dark looking stew.
“What’s in it?” she asked.
“Food,” Simon responded gruffly, serving up another bowl for Rory.
“Excellent, thank you Simon. Smells wonderful!”
Simon made a growling noise and pointed to two mugs on one of the counter tops. Rory took one and handed it off to Azara and took the other for himself. Rory lead them out into the main cabin all the way back to the equipment room door. Azara wasn’t quite sure where he intended to go. All around them it was dark with a few lanterns back toward the galley and the fire in the hearth was very low.
“Rory?”
“Hmm?”
“Where we going?” Azara asked him as he was opening the door in the bulkhead.
“Don’t fret, you’ll see,” he said as he climbed into the weapons store.
She followed him and tried to watch him in the darkness as he opened the door to a small cabinet. It sounded like he was shifting a few things around and then he flat out disappeared.
“Rory?!”
“Shh! Come one now, you want all the crew to know we’re in here?”
“No…where’s here?” she asked as she crouched to follow Rory though the cabinet door.
It was like a small crawl space straight back to the stern. Azara could hear water rushing all around her. She felt rather than saw Rory’s legs disappear above in a black hole above her. Before she dared to move any farther there was a flash of light and a soft glow was coming from the hole Rory had gone up into. Azara repositioned the bowl of stew and the mug of water in the crook of her arm. She started to kneel and then stood up slowly into the space. She looked around and found there was a very small room. Through the center of it ran a large wooden post that was moving slightly back and forth. Rory had scooted back into the far corner and had a small candle lit. Azara could feel a bit of a breeze and the room’s air felt damp.
“That’s part of the rudder that is, goes out through the stern there,” he said with a mouthful of stew.
Azara climbed up and took a seat near the hole. She stretched her legs out so they ran along side of Rory’s, who also had them extended under the rudder bar. She started eating her little bowl of stew. It had already lost a lot of its warmth. It had chunks of salt pork, potatoes, onion and carrots in it and some sort of gravy. It wasn’t all that bad, but it could use some seasoning.
“How’d you find this?”
“The mate sent me down to check if there was a break in the timber here. Rudder hit some shallows. But there wasn’t any damage. I decided then that I was going to use it as my room. None of them can get back here. There’s a lot of little nooks like this here and there, most are used as storage, but us, we can get in ‘em so why not use it? Opens up more room in the cabin for the crew. And we get some privacy.”
“I have to stay up in the cabins you know. Incase they need me for something.”
“Yeah, you ought to head back up there soon. I suspect that they’ll be wanting you to set for dinner soon enough. It was already past midday when we were touring up there.”
Azara noticed that Rory’s small canvas bag was down here as well, and what looked like an old wool blanket. She drank down the rest of the water from her mug and set her bowl aside. Rory had finished his meal and started to lay back on the floor of the little room.
“You take my bowl with you?” he asked, shutting his eyes. “I’d like to get a little rest before my watch at sundown.”
“Yeah, alright,” she said, creeping across the space and taking his bowl and stacking it with hers.
She hopped back into the hole and took a moment to figure out how to crouch back out of the cabinet. She found herself back inside of the weapons store. She shut the little cabinet door and snuck back out of the room. All around her it was dark with the sounds of sleeping men. She crept slowly up the main cabin back to the galley. There were still a few men sitting by the hearth eating or playing a game with stones. She walked into the galley to find a very menacing Simon waiting to take her bowl.
He swiped them from her hands rather quickly and turned his back to her.
“Do you want the tankard as well, Simon?” she asked holding her out.
He grunted, and when he realized she wasn’t leaving, he turned back to her. “Keep it. On your belt,” he said with a deep throaty voice.
“Oh… alright. Thank you Simon. The stew was very good.”
He grunted again, and this time she left. She climbed the ladder and pushed open the hatch, taking her back out onto the main deck.
She walked slowly back to the officers cabins. Up on the quarterdeck Windglider was speaking to the mate. It looked like the third watch had already began some time ago. Azara ducked into the cabin to find the captain sitting at the table with several maps out before him, and the ship’s logbook.
He spared her a side-glance and she scurried around the table to the little nook that was her own. She pulled out her satchel and hopped up into the space. She pulled her body back and leaned against the wall. There was a little light shining into her space from the captain’s lantern. She sat curled up like that for several minutes trying to think of something to do, or how to make herself fall asleep.
Then she decided it was time to be a little adventurous. She called out toward the light. “Sir?”
“What is it, boy?”
“Sir… would I be able to use a few lengths of rope and possible some cloth or sail to make something tomorrow?”
“That depends on what you wish to make, Azar.”
“I want to make a harness so I can wash the outside of the windows at the stern,” she said it with almost a sour taste, knowing he probably thought her a fool.
“A harness to clean the windows. Hmph.”
Azara climbed out of her little niche and stood up near the end of the table.
“No sir, it will be brilliant! I have it all worked out in my head. I know just were to tie it and I won’t have to go down far because the windows aren’t very low. I just want to scrub them over once. It would let so much more light into your cabin and into the wash room,” she stammered quickly.
“What if I like the windows dirty?”
“Do…you?” Azara asked, realizing she probably shouldn’t have.
The captain laughed. “No, Azar. I do not. But that doesn’t mean I want my fool of a cabin boy to dangle himself off of the stern of my ship with a brush and a bar of soap.”
“Oh.”
“Might as well just label yourself as serpent bait. Spirits, for being eleven summers you’re not much brighter than the last lad.”
“Sorry sir. I just thought. I just thought that it would be a good idea.”
“Azar you’ll have to learn to separate the good ideas from the idiotic in your head before you speak to me on them.”
“Aye, captain,” she responded automatically and turned back to her nook.
“Wait.” Azara turned back to her captain.
He looked her over once with one of his thick brows raised.
“You cleaned up alright, boy. Did you see to the mates’ rooms as well?”
“Aye sir.”
“Good. Good. Tell me lad. Why did you want to join this crew?” the captain asked looking back down at the maps.
Azara chewed on her lip a moment before saying, “To get away, sir.”
“To get away… To get away from?”
“To get away from where I was supposed to be. Sir.”
“From where you were supposed to be,” he repeated slowly. It felt like he was inviting her to speak more. Azara never needed much in the way of encouragement.
“I was supposed to stay on the farm. I was supposed to be a farmer. That’s what my family said was my duty. I didn’t want to do that I wanted something more. And pirate ships… pirate ships go everywhere and see everything. You’re not held to the boundaries of the island. When you’re bored you just sail somewhere else. There’s just so much more freedom in it than there is on a homestead, sir.”
He chuckled to himself and looked up at her.
“Boy, you wanted to be a pirate to be free? Better than being on a homestead, you think? Give it a few weeks, boy, and tell me what you think then.” He paused, looking thoughtful. “Do you know how I became a pirate? How all of this crew got to be this way? How any of the ships for the Escape Islands turned from trade to piracy?”
“No, sir. I just… I just thought that you were always pirates.” She realized how stupid this sounded as she said it and quickly looked down.
“Come, Azar. It’s time for a history lesson. Sit.”
“Sir?”
“I said to sit,” he said roughly, kicking out one of the chairs opposite him.
Azara hurried to his order and jumped into the chair, sitting stiffly and staring up at the captain. He looked much like he did the first night she had met him. Sitting back in the shadows of a dark room. He slung up one arm on the chair next to him.
“Ten years ago we were all just your average merchants. Bringing goods between the five islands of the Escape. Sailing to the continent. Trading with the ports in the south. Sometimes sailing all the way the east and getting some of the more rare goods in the city-states there. It was a good life. I was just a mate then, ‘course. See this map here,” he said, pointing down to a large scroll of leather before him.
Azara sat up on the chair and leaned over the map. It was a huge and full of land she hadn’t seen before. She recognized the outlines of the islands in the south west corner as her home. The words “Escape” written over them. Sevens Port and the other major towns of the islands were also marked. Azara’s eyes fell on the large landmass in the center. She knew little of the main continent, just what she heard in passing in the port shops and market place.
“Och is so large… I didn’t realize…” she said in awe, looking over the map. Her eyes darting to the islands in the northwest and another smaller continent mass far to the east of everything.
“We’re headed there,” the captain said pointing at a series of small islands and shallows marked in a trail just south of the continent. “We’re going there to lay in wait to prey on passing ships. What to know why?”
“Because… we’re pirates?” Azara ventured.
This made the captain smile. “Yes because we are pirates and that is how we earn our bread. But we weren’t always pirates and we didn’t always have to lay in wait depending on the unpreparedness of others. Here… this region here.” He pointed to a spot in the northwest of the main continent. “It used to be called the Kingdom of Izarough. That’s where we came from Azar. That’s where all our ancestors were born.”
“That’s the Kingdom?” All Azara had ever heard it referred to was the as “The Kingdom of Our Fathers” by any of the folk of the Escape Islands.
“Aye, boy. The Kingdom of Izarough. Its capitol is there, Castle Izarough. It’s a beautiful fortress. A beautiful city. Or it had been, at one time. Do you know why our ancestors left the Kingdom, Azar?”
“No sir.”
“The popularity of a false deity swept through the region. It took with it the King and Queen. Old temples were torn down. Those who maintained the worship of the Spirits were persecuted. Many were burned. Hung. Tortured. Those that managed to avoid this heard the calling of the Spirits to leave the lands of the Kingdom, for the king had lost his way. So they took their ships, their kin and anything they could fit aboard and headed in the direction the Spirits told us. From all over the Kingdom our ancestors left. Some met on the water, some only met when they reached this destination. All agreed that these were the lands the Spirits wished us to escape to. And so they were named.”
“I’ve heard some of that story sir, at the temple.”
“Of course you would. You’d hear it too, if you listened to the wind. Even now, I hear it telling me to come back to the islands.” The captain closed his eyes, reaching for something Azara could not understand.
“Families made new names for themselves. They shed the rule of the king of Izarough. They discovered the secrets of the Escape islands. Many years have passed since then. The world was in harmony once again. The worship in the north of the false deity went out of fashion. Some returned to the worship of the Spirits. Some did not. But we were not pursued. Trade was open to all. That is, until ten years ago. It’s no surprise you do not remember. The world has been as it is for almost all of your life. Things have gone amiss once again in the Kingdom of our Fathers. The King claims more than were given to him by the Spirits. He seeks too much. He is suffering from an insatiable greed. He has extended the borders of the Kingdom south and taken over the free traders to the south. He assaults his neighbors to the east, the Republic of Obsole. They may have already fallen. Only the mountains and desert here keep him from taking the entire continent. The city-states of the southeast are still free, but they look with fear to their borders. The country of Esme, here on the small continent are trying to amass an army for their protection. So far, they have left the Heart Islands here in the north alone. But then, no one ventures there. The King would be most unwise to try to take them. He has also left us on our own for the time being. The ocean is our only defense. But they control all of the ports in the south and up the west coast. We cannot trade. We cannot bring goods to any harbor under their rule. Our ships are seized. Our men our lost. Some of us manage to get through to the city-states where we are still welcome. But it is a difficult journey. However, now, the things the free-traders bought from us, they must import from the north. Those ships come to and from the south bays. And if we lay in wait here in these islands, we can take them. That is why we are pirates Azar. We are pirates because that is all that is left to us because the Kingdom has lost the Way of the Spirits.”
The captain gave her a meaningful look. Azara couldn’t help but be locked in his dead stare, her mouth agap.
The door to the cabin opened, letting in bright sunlight with it. The first mate came in, glared at Azara and sat down at the table with the captain.
“Get us our meal, boy,” the captain said gruffly, rolling up his maps. “And don’t you forget what we talked about today.”
“Aye sir,” she said quickly as she headed for the door.
***
Chapter 6:
Azara hauled up a bucket of seawater to do some washing. It was her fifth sunrise on the Spite and Malice and she had finally found her sea legs. The crew was getting used to having her running underfoot and her duties within the officers’ cabins were fairly low maintenance. Now that the initial cleaning had been taken care of, Azara simply had to pick up the small daily messes the officers made, see that there was dry foods available for all of them in the mornings and midday, and make sure they were served their warm meal in the evenings. It was always the captain and the first mate that ate together just before the first watch took over the ship again at sunset. Then the mate waited and sat with the second as he took his meal, discussing any important issues the captain had raised. There had been nothing terribly exciting of the past few days. Azara was starting to understand why the captain had laughed when she said sailing would be better than being on a homestead.
She took the water out to the bow of the ship where she had piled the officers’ bedding and clothing. It was the third bucket she had hauled up. She sat down with a washboard and a bar of soap and began to wash out the clothing and humming to herself.
Rory, meanwhile, was sitting nearby splicing rope together. The ship had been fairly quite now that they had reached the small uninhabitable islands to the south of the main continent. Their sails had been taken in, and the anchor was weighed. There were lookouts running around the clock watching for any signs of a passing ship.
Rory watched Azara work out of the corner of his eyes. She had on a light grey linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and a pair of brown leather pants. Her hands looked almost blue from the chill of the air and the cold seawater she had them plunged into. Yet she looked to be enjoying the work. Azara was staring down into the pail, her hands full of suds and wet bedding. She was humming a song that Rory remembered his own mother singing on several occasions. He watched her ring out the washing and bring it over to one of the lines and drape it over. She had found some sort of wood pins to clip them on to the lines.
The wet clothing was wavering in the light breeze along with Azara’s hair. Rory set down the coils of rope he was working on and leaned back against the planks of the deck. The sky was gray and Rory reasoned that there would be a storm coming soon. He let his eyes wander up to the crow’s nest where two lookouts were sitting with open spyglasses, scanning the horizon.
Harlen Harehunter was a young man with sandy brown hair pulled back into a wispy tail. He wore mostly dark colors and black leather gloves. He had his back to the mast, looking north northeast. The other lookout, a man by the name of Jard Cloudbreather was scanning the sky opposite him and looking thoroughly bored.
Then suddenly Harlen sat straight up, his whole body stiff. He reached a hand around to Jard and grabbed his coat roughly. Jard whipped his head around and focused on the point Harlen was pointing toward. Rory shot to his feet as Jard started calling down to the deck.
“Masts! Masts on the horizon! With a Izarough flag!”
“Azar! The mates!” Rory yelled to her but she was already moving, the washing forgotten.
Azara leapt off of the forecastle deck and sprinted toward the sterncastle. Harlen was already half way down the ratlines speeding his way to report to the captain. The captain, who was on watch, had sprung up from his sitting position near the stern and was leaning over the rail, ready to take the spyglass from the lookout. Azara flew through the door into the cabins.
She slammed her fist on the first mate’s door yelling through the wood, “Sir masts on the horizon! There’s a ship! Sir!”
Her rousing was loud enough to waken the second mate who stumbled out of his state room just as Boarkiller opened his own door, half dressed.
“What? What’s going on, runt?”
“Sir, the lookout spied masts on the horizon,” Azara said out of breath.
The mate suddenly looked fully awake, he turned his back to Azara and with great haste he finished dressing. The second mate, who looked as though he had fallen asleep still in his clothes and boots, immediately ran out onto the deck. Seconds after that Azara was nearly knocked to the floor by the mate as he stormed out after to join the captain.
Azara stepped out after them to find the deck in a full state of activity. Men were in the rigging, sails were being set and the officers were at the stern examining the prey through the long spyglasses. She started scanning the ropes for Rory, she knew he’d be up there somewhere, perhaps there was something she could do to help. The captain had ordered the ship to pull around the nearest island for cover. It had several very tall trees that would mask their own masts.
“Boy!”
Azara whipped around at the sound of the mate’s voice.
“Grappling hooks from the weapons store, now!”
As she ran to the hatch she heard the captain yelling to his crew, “Look lively now! They’ll be on us by midday and I want this ship and this crew ready to take them!”
Azara fought the flood of crew coming out of the hatch in various states of readiness. She dived down the ladder, swung backwards on it’s opposite side to avoid the men climbing up and landed roughly on the planks of the below deck. She grabbed an already lit lantern off of the hearth mantle. And started running back to the stern. She yanked open the door to the weapons store and started scanning the hanging items for the large hooks the mate had requested.
High up on the pegs were four good-sized grabbling hooks. They were discolored with large flakes of rust coming off as she grabbed them from their fasteners. She struggled with carrying all four plus the lantern back to the hatch. Simon had come out of the galley and without saying anything he took the lantern out of her hand grabbed her round the knees and pushed her up through the hatch.
She stumbled out onto the deck with the hooks still in her hand half bewildered by the sudden toss above deck by the ship’s cook. She regained her balance and took off back to the stern. She nearly ran into Rory who had a handful of rope.
“Drop them over here Azar!” he called sharply, dropping his rope as well.
She let the grappling hooks slip from her hands onto the deck. Rory immediately started tying the ropes into the eyelets of the hooks and preparing them for use.
“Boy!”
Azara turned around again to find the second mate standing nearby.
“Start bringing up weapons, go!” he barked at her.
Azara cast Rory a quick look but the boy was wrapped up into his knots and didn’t see her. She took off back to the hatch and climbed down the ladder. Simon was nowhere in sight but the lantern was again sitting on the hearth mantle. She took it and headed back to the weapons store. She wasn’t all that sure what to grab but she figured she might have to bring it all up anyway. Only a handful of the crew were armed at all times. The captain had a cutlass strapped to his side, as did both mates. Some of the other crew who worked mostly on the decks carried weapons, but the men who worked in the rigging only carried knives and small pike looking tools called riggers for the ropes.
She took down several of the edged weapons from the wall. Her hands and arms were small enough that she could slip them though the handles of the blades and stack them up her arms. She left the lantern in the room and took off back for the deck, arms full of clanking steel. She climbed up the ladder, the swords sliding up to almost her shoulder. She pushed her way out of the hatch, nearly stabbing herself. The mate was across the other side of the ship, speaking with his watch. Azara caught his eye as she stood up on the deck.
“Runt, over here!” he called with a laugh.
Several of he watch turned to look at Azara with her strange method of sword carrying. She had six on each arm and she rushed over to the mate with her arms outstretched.
“You’ve your use after all swab,” one of the men said to her, taking a cutlass from her left wrist.
Azara smiled at him and offered the rest of the blades to the men assembled.
“Bring the rest up, and distribute them among the crew,” the mate said.
“And bring me an axe, boy,” a man with a thick black mustache said.
“Aye, sir!” Azara said quickly and headed back to the hatch.
***
“Quiet now, lads… She’s almost here. On my word, pull the anchor and we’ll come round the island on her. Boarkiller and his men are in the boarding boat waiting to come round her side while we distract her. They’ll be on her, as we are. Eagleflyer! Oxentamer! I want you on the grapples, stern and bow. She looks heavy in the water lads, let’s hope she’s carrying—“
But what the captain said was drown out by a clap of thunder in the distance. He stopped speaking and looked off toward the darkening clouds.
“Let’s use this storm to our advantage! We all know how to sail and how to fight in rain and waves. Don’t let me down, now! Scudd,” he turned his attention to Rory who was standing against the rail, “be ready with the colors.” Rory gave him a nod and headed off to climb the mainmast. “Azar!” the captain yelled in her direction. “To the cabins with you now. Don’t want you underfoot.”
Azara was about to argue, she had even slipped a long dagger into her belt, but the captain gave her a stern look and she simply nodded. Slowly, she walked to the officers’ cabins dragging her feet. Not only was she not allowed to fight, but she wouldn’t be able to watch either. She shot Rory one last look up in the rigging and walked inside.
Rory had himself wrapped up in the rigging holding the pirate flag of the Spite and Malice. He was watching the crew below, waiting for a signal to hoist the colors onto the jack mast. Men were pacing and looking impatient. All of them were now heavily armed and two men were waiting with the grappling hooks. Rory looked across to the other mast where Jard was watching as best he could through the trees as the ship approached.
Rory looked out into the sky and adjusted his weight, trying to mentally prepare himself for a battle. The sky was growing darker by the minute. The black clouds to their south were quickly spreading north. He felt the first drops of cold rain on his forehead. Hopefully the winds would not become too strong so that the crew wouldn’t be split between fighting and handling the ship. He could feel the waves increasing in size as he bobbed more roughly in the air.
Then his thoughts were wrenched back into the present as he saw the second mate wave his arms at the bow of the ship. In seconds the anchor was hauled up by a group of men and Rory was scampering further up the mast to hang the colors. The ship lurched into movement. The wind had picked up so much that as soon as they were free floating the sails pulled them out of the shelter of the island. Rory let the colors fly and the Spite and Malice was on the hunt.
The captain was at the helm, he craftily steered the ship around the rocky coast and out into open water. He turned them so they were running parallel with the Izarough merchant ship. It was a three master, but they had already began taking down canvas in preparation of the storm. The ship was also running low in the water, heavy with cargo and crew. The Spite and Malice that was carrying little more than the food they needed to sustain themselves, was running much more quickly. Rory held on tight as the ship leaned heavily to the starboard side as the ship pulled up alone side of the ship. Rory could see the crew on the Izarough ship frantically running around on the decks. They were yelling to one another and pointing to Spite and Malice.
Eagleflyer was ready with his hook, swinging it around to gain momentum. Rory watched him spit over the rail and glare across the small patched of water. The bows were almost level and Rory could actually hear the men screaming. The crew of the Spite and Malice were yelling as well, harsh course words and noises over the rails to intimidate the other ship. They were perhaps outnumbered, but Rory doubted that the merchant crew was very well armed.
They also didn’t realize that there was a small boarding ship coming up on their rear with ten men with swords in their hands. The Spite and Malice’s grappling hooks hit the rails and the crew roared. Five men took up ropes and pulled. The merchant ship was yanked toward them while their crew frantically tried to remove the grapples.
As soon as the hauls hit the crew of the Spite and Malice were jumping over the rails. Rory started to descend the ratlines. There were screams coming from the merchant ship and Rory knew that the attack was full on. By now the crew in the small boarding boat would be climbing up the stern and surrounding them from the back. Hopefully they would give up quickly and spare their lives before the crew was forced to wound them all.
Rory ran over to the rail of the Spite and Malice to find it banging sharply with the merchant ship. They wouldn’t be able to stay grappled together like this for very much longer. He jumped over the railing onto the foreign ship. Around him was chaos. Men were battling with anything they could find against the pirates. Rory spied one of the members of the crew slumped up against one of the masts. He pushed his way through the fighting and grabbed a hold of the man under his arms and started to drag him back to the pirate ship.
He made it to the rail and struggled to lift the man over it. He was bleeding from a head wound but still alive. Rory finally got him onto their own ship and he started screaming for Simon and Azara. Simon climbed out of the hatch quickly, just as Azara ran out of the cabins.
“He’s hurt! Take him!” Rory yelled, letting the man down gently onto the deck.
He ran back to the other ship as Azara collapsed down next to the man. Simon looked up to the sky.
“Boy! We have to get him below. The rain will take us soon. Take his feed. NOW!” Simon yelled over the sound of battle, slipping his own hands under the man’s.
Azara helped to bring him to the hatch and lower him below deck. She looked over her shoulder to the fighting, trying to find Rory’s figure in the mess.
Rory was searching through the fallen on the ship trying to find any other hurt crewmembers as they started being pelted with rain.
Then suddenly, the fighting was over. Rory threw his head around and found that the captain of the merchant ship had thrown down his sword, Captain Swiftstream’s blade was against his neck.
“Very wise. We take only your cargo, you’ll have your ship. WINDGLIDER!”
“Aye sir!”
“See to the movement of their shipment. SCUDD!”
“Aye sir!” Rory yelled, running to where the captain could see him.
“Get their colors, boy. And when you return, get Simon to patch that hole in your arm.”
Rory glanced down and saw there was blood on his shoulder. He hadn’t even realized he’d been hurt, running about amidst the battle. He nodded and headed for their main mast. The rigging was all but abandoned as the fighting had started. Rory climbed up the mast, pushing away forgotten sail and rope to reach the top. The rain was pelting him the face, stinging his eyes and making it difficult to see. His hands were wet and slippery, just like the wood he was clinging to. Finally, he felt the Izarough flag in his fingers and pulled it from their position.
When he returned to the deck, the crew had been split. Half of them had round up the merchant crew and pinned them at the stern with their captain. The rest were transferring equipment and cargo to their own ship. Rory tucked the flag into his belt and went to help load.
“Windglider? Did you leave them enough supplies to get to a port?”
“Aye sir.”
“Good. Good.”
“Why don’t you just kill us?”
“Now, what would that help? I want you to go back up to your home and fill your pretty little bellies again so we can do this again next month.”
“As if I would return to these waters without armaments again!”
“Well, you just debate whether you’d rather spend your last monies on swords and men to protect you or more goods to try to make a profit on. I know your type, lad. You’ll bet on your luck every time. I like your type. It makes me and my crew rich men.”
“Your time is short, Escapee. Your islands are nothing to us. The Empire of Izarough will crush you like a fly.”
The captain spit on the man.
“Your Empire. YOUR EMPIRE TESTS THE SPIRITS! Things are out of balance! If your man on the throne stopped once to listen… can’t you feel it? In the wind? The world is unbalanced. It’s only a matter of time before things have to be righted once more.”
“Spirits! Ha! There are no spirits, only an empire and land we haven’t taken yet.”
Captain Swiftstream smashed him in the head with the hilt of his of his cutlass. Rory stood slightly shocked. No man had so boldly denied the existence of the spirits in his presence before. He stared at the slumped body on the puddling planks of the ship.
“Time to cut loose this bird loose men. We’re done with her.” The captain paused only a moment to spit on the unconscious figure once more before heading back to his own deck.
The storm swirled up around them. Thunder drowning out the men’s voices as they called to one another, trying to secure the new cargo. Some one had pulled loose the grappling hooks and freed the merchant ship. Rory walked dazedly back toward the hatch, intending to see if the wounded men were being treated. Then he remembered that he still had the flag in his belt and headed to find the captain, as he was sure he would want it.
The Spite and Malice flew through the sea that was growing rougher every moment away from the merchant ship. The Izarough crew was battling to save their own ship now that it was completely off balanced from the removal of the cargo weight. Captain Swiftstream let the Spite and Malice ride in the heavy wind and the rain for quite awhile, taking advantage of it to get them away from the scene of the attack as quickly as possible. All hands were working desperately together to load the crates, barrels and sacks down into their hold and filling portions of the main cabin and to hold the sails together through the storm.
The second mate kept looking back to the captain, hoping he’d call for the sails to be taken in so they could ride out the storm and avoid as much damage as they could. The captain was taking them further from the rocks of the small islands to their south, least they be dashed against them. They were too small to provide any sort of protection from the water, they could only harbor danger for them. Rory ran along the rail, slipping now and again with his bare feet.
He climbed up to the quarterdeck and found the captain at the helm, looking out over the dark and foreboding water with a stern and concentrated face.
“Sir!” Rory screamed.
“What the hell is it lad?”
“Their flag sir! What do you want me to do with it?” Rory said, motioning to the thick square of cloth in his belt.
“My cabin!”
Rory took off back down the ladder to the main deck. He yanked open the cabin door. The room was dark so Rory felt his way back to the captain’s door. He opened it just enough to toss the flag inside and hurry back out again.
“ALL HANDS! ALL HANDS! TAKE IN THE SAILS!” the mate was hollering as he moved down the deck, pointing crew to tasks.
Rory ran to ascend the ratlines with the rest of the men.
***
“Is he going to be ok?” Azara asked Simon, who was moving from wounded man to wounded man along the larboard side.
Simon grunted and picked up a bloodied cloth.
Azara looked down at one of the crew. His name was Artle Eelgrabber, she remembered. He had yet to come back into consciousness since they had brought him down to the main cabin. One of the merchants had hit him upon the head very hard. He had a large cut along the skull that Simon had had to sew shut. Azara was cleaning the wounds as best she could and applying a small amount of an herbal mixture Simon had given her to use.
She followed him along to the next man, and the next. Tending to the wounded. Fortunately, there hadn’t been a lot. And no deaths. She helped to gather the cleaning rags and tools Simon had been using and brought them back into the Galley behind him.
Men started pouring down the ladder along with a lot of water. Simon peered out the galley door, grumbling. He went back to putting away the healer’s kit. Azara walked out into the cabin to ask them what was going on.
“Best you get up to the officers’ cabin, runt. They’ll be lookin’ for you,” a tall man said to her before walking toward the stern.
“Aye, no one’s supposed to be on the decks now, but the helmsman and a few from the mate’s watch,” another agreed, trying to stoke the fire in the hearth.
Azara nodded and started to climb the ladder. The hatch was closed and she struggled with opening it and staying on the top of the ladder at the same time. She crawled out of the hatch and let it close behind her. She hoped she hadn’t let too much water down on the men below.
The weather had gotten decidedly much worse since she was last on the deck. The waves had at least doubled in size, and the ship was rolling violently. Azara stayed on her hands and feet and slide over to the rail. She started to stand, holding her arm over her head to block the hard rain. She took the chance to look around for a moment. Ahead of her she could see the sterncastle, with a few men on the quarterdeck. In the main mast their was a stir of ropes and secured sails. There were one or two men aloft in them still, working their way down slowly.
She turned back to look at the foremast and caught her breath.
Rory was still aloft. Alone.
She could see him clinging there in the crow’s nest, the wind whipping his hair and clothing around harshly.
“RORY!” Azara screamed and started to run to the mast.
She heard the men on the quarterdeck yelling something to her but she didn’t understand.
She slipped and ended up having to pull herself along the planks and up the ladder to the forecastle deck. She had to stop for a moment at the foremast, gripping it as tightly as she could, so she didn’t slide forward to the bow as the ship dived into a trough of a wave.
“RORY!” she called again, looking up.
Directly under the mast, she could not see him. She put her hands into the ratlines and started to pull herself up the mast. She went horribly slowly, pausing every step to hold tight and work up the nerve to take another footing.
The mast was flying wildly in the wind as the ship danced below them. She offered a quick prayer to the spirits to guide their way safely though the storm. She hoped it would be soon. She was nearing the base of the fore gaff and with it, the bottom of the crow’s nest. The hardest thing she had to do was to hoist herself up onto the platform without flying away. She was petrified, but tried anyway.
She felt hands come around her forearms and drag her to the safety of the mast.
“AZARA! WHAT IN OCH ARE YOU DOING UP HERE?!” Rory screamed into her ear as he pulled her tight against the mast.
“I SAW YOU, FROM BELOW! I THOUGHT YOU WERE STUCK! OR HURT!” she cried.
“I AM, BUT YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE COME UP HERE!”
“RORY! YOU’RE BLEEDING!”
“I GOT CUT BEFORE. THEN I WAS UP ON THE TOPSAIL YARD… NEXT THING I KNEW EVERYONE WAS BELOW… AND ALL I COULD MAKE IT TO WAS HERE BEFORE MY ARM STARTED TO GIVE OUT!” he yelled over a clap of thunder.
They stayed like that, on the crow’s nest for a few moments more, being soaked by the rain and terrified of the trip down.
“I’LL HELP YOU. WE’LL GO TOGETHER!” Azara told him, though she wasn’t entirely sure how she was going to accomplish it.
Rory nodded, and then flashed a grin. “RACE?” he asked and went to lower himself over the edge.
It was in that precise moment that the ship lurched and the wind surged. Rory, lost his grip. Azara screamed, so shocked she didn’t know what to do. She had enough sense to lay low and force herself to look over. Her heart quaked to think she might see Rory, a body on the deck.
To her relief as well as her dismay, Rory was hanging desperately to the fore gaff. He had managed to grab a hold of it with both arms. But by the look on his face, and from what he had said about his injury, Azara knew he wouldn’t last long. He was well out of her arms reach and even if she managed to get off of the crow’s nest, she still wouldn’t be able to get him from the mast ratlines.
Fraught, Azara looked around her for any idea of what to do. She saw a rope that was tied above her, holding nothing to the mast. Quickly, she uncoiled it and left one end secured to the mast. The other she looped around her legs and waist, making a quick harness for herself. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and jumped over the edge toward Rory.
Had Rory not been so afraid of dying at that moment, he probably would have found the whole thing to be hysterical. Instead he nearly wet himself when he say Azara’s body come hurtling toward him. The next thing he knew he was clinging to her, and her to him and dangling somewhere over the deck.
“NEXT TIME WE SWING PAST THE MAST, GRAB A HOLD OF THE LINES WITH YOUR GOOD ARM. I’VE GOT A STRONG HOLD ON YOU!” she screamed into his ear.
“YOU’RE MAD!” he said, laughing and crying.
He looked over her shoulder and reached out an arm. It took a few tries but eventually they were both held solidly in the ratlines. Rory helped to steady Azara as she undid the rope harness she had made and tied it to the mast so it wouldn’t fly around in the wind. Then, very slowly they climbed down the mast next to one another. When they reached the base of the mast, they found a member of the watch waiting for them.
He grabbed a hold of both of them by the waist and carefully navigated across the deck and down to the hatch. He was grumbling something to them before he kicked open the hatch door and passed both children though and slammed it shut over them.
Rory turned to look at her and both of them smiled and started to laugh. All of the fear and tension shook out of their bodies as they found themselves on solid, semi dry flooring. The crew around them were giving them strange looks and cursing them for bring in so much water with them, but the pair barely heard.
***
“Simon, you’re very good at this you know,” Rory said with a chipper voice to the cook.
Simon snorted, “Damned boys getting bloody… enough with the rest of the crew that I got to patch you up too.”
“I do appreciate it,” he reassured the cook with a grin.
Azara was crouched in front of the fire in the galley with her knees tucked up to her chest. Rory was sitting up on the cabinet with his shirt off and Simon stitching up his shoulder. For almost having fallen to his death and a large bleeding cut, Rory looked quite happy. Azara couldn’t help smiling herself.
Rory’s hair was still wet and matted to his head, but the heat of the small room had dried off most of his skin. Azara had laid his shirt out by the hearth on the other side of the bulkhead, and was drying to dry hers by sitting so close to the fire. Rory’s grey wool pants were still sodden and dripping onto the galley’s floor. He had his wounded arm resting on his lap while Simon sewed to cut closed. Azara caught the shine of his beaded blue bracelets that never left his wrist.
She remembered when he had first got them. Actually, it was her that gave them to him many years ago. They had been hunting for treasure on one of the beaches. They were walking with sticks and probing the sand for any interesting objects. The sun had been just right and Azara saw them in the water’s edge. She pulled them from the sand and washed them in the seawater. Rory had been several yards ahead of her so she ran up to surprise him. He had liked the beads so much that she knew they belonged to him. So the next thing that he had found, he had given to her. It was a starfish.
Azara looked up to see he was still grinning, and inspecting his new stitches. It would just be another interesting scar to him. It almost matched the little wisp of a line on his chest. Rory had always had that scar, at least, as long as she could remember. It was just a small wavy line, but it never tanned so it stood out white against his usually dark tan skin. Rory liked to make up stories about it, since he couldn’t actually remember how he got it.
“Don’t bloody touch it. Stupid boy,” Simon chided him.
The whole ship seemed wet though. The main cabin smelled of mold and wet animals. There were too many people crammed into the lower deck, seeking shelter from the weather. Many were on just the other side of the bulkhead, trying to get near the fireplace. The rest had changed into dryer clothing and retired to their hammocks or pallets. Azara wanted nothing more than to go change, but she didn’t want to risk crawling across the deck again. Eventually she’d get dry again.
“Your shirt would dry better if you took it off,” Rory said helpfully.
She gave him a dirty look and said through clenched teeth, “I’m fine, thanks.”
Simon pulled the suture through and tied if off. He handed the needle to Rory and cut the thread with a small knife. He grunted and nodded for Rory to get off of the cabinet and grabbed the needle from his hand.
“Thanks Simon, very well done. Now, we should go, I’m sure you have other patients to see before the night is though,” Rory said, clapping him on the back.
“’Ere” Simon said, holding out two hard biscuits for them.
Rory took them and nodded to Simon, even though he’d already turned away. Rory handed one off to Azara and walked out of the galley. Azara followed him into the main cabin, where he was putting on his mostly dry shirt. They walked back to the weapons store and discreetly climbed into Rory’s little hiding place.
He crashed the two firestones he had over the stubby little candle to give them light. They both ate their dry biscuits in quiet. It was Rory who spoke up first.
“Thanks for that, today. You know, saving me and all.”
“You’re welcome,” she said smiling.
“It was a little unorthodox though. I mean, it’s not the way I would have done it.”
“It was all I could think of! Had I debated longer you’d have fallen.”
“Yeah, I’m glad you didn’t take the time to rig a pulley system or you know, climb down quickly and attempt to build a net before I hit the deck.”
“Shut up, you,” she said teasingly and then added with a note of seriousness she didn’t intend, “I’m glad you’re alright, Rory.”
He grinned and looked away. “What would you do without me? Let’s get some sleep before tomorrow’s watch.”
He blew out the candle.
***
“It’s no good captain. There’s no way we can fix it,” one of the crew was saying, wiping sweat from his brow.
The crew was assembled on the deck, several carrying on duties to repair things damaged in the storm. The mates and the captain were all perched on the forecastle deck staring at the bow. The jib boom was completely smashed and the bowsprit was in rough shape. Without them, there would be no way for them to put any sort of significant amount of strain on either mast. The best they could do, would be to limp it to some shore and look for wood to fix it.
“And the sails?”
“Most made it through, sir. But there’s a lot of repairs to do.”
The captain nodded solemnly and left the deck.
He headed back to the cabins and passed by Rory and Azara who were partaking in similar work they were doing before the attack. Rory was tending to much of the ships ropes, as were several other crew members. Much of it needed to be sliced in areas, and pieces needed to be removed here and there. Azara was attempting to do the washing once again. It was rather unfortunate that quite a lot of what she had been doing had been lost during the bad weather. She had to scrounge through the supplies, and the new cargo in the hold to find appropriate bedding for the captain and mates.
“Boy, bring me hot water.”
“Aye sir!” Azara said at once and set down her things.
She ran to the hatch to fetch from Simon the water and the herbs she knew the captain would want for tea. She carried them carefully across the deck and to the cabin door. She turned to find Rory following her, he knocked once on the door and then opened it for her so she would not have to set the small pot down.
She gave him a little nod and walked inside.
The captain was stretched out on the table, pouring over several maps. She guessed he and the mates were figuring out their position early this morning after the storm broke and there were stars to read by. He had a point marked out on one of them with a colored pin.
“Set it down there, boy.”
“Aye, sir,” she responded quietly and did just that.
She could see that he was making measurements to lands slightly to their northeast. Bays once controlled by who the captain called the free traders, now ruled by the Izarough empire.
“You can go now,” he said, looking up.
“Yes sir,” she said and backed out of the room.
Outside the sun was shining brightly, and men were hanging their wet clothing to dry over the rails. Rory glanced up at her as she returned to the washing.
“I think we’re going to try to land in a port,” she said under her breath to him.
“What? Why? There’s no way we can get into an Izarough run port,” he replied.
“Captain was taking measurement to one of the ones in the south. I mean, it’s the obvious thing to do isn’t it? We can’t make it anywhere else quickly. I mean, we can see the coast line from here.”
“But we’re a pirate ship from Escape, Azar. They’ll skin us alive before we even set foot on land.”
“Not if we look like an Izarough ship we won’t.”
“What do you mean?”
Azara smiled, took the bedding out of the wash and went to hang it. She dumped the bucket over the side and headed to the hatch.
“Azar! Where are you going?”
“To get something from the hold that I found this morning. You’ll see,” she said cryptically and climbed down the ladder.
She took a lit lantern back with her to the far corner of the main cabin. Several pieces of the stolen cargo were packed against the walls. She had ripped open quite a few of them previously and found a few crates full of clothing and linens. It was from one of those that she had discovered the new bedding for the mates.
Instead, she began looking through the clothing.
***
It was mid afternoon when she reappeared with an armload of clothing and headed to the officer’s cabins.
“Azar… Azar, what on Och are you doing?” Rory asked, stopping her outside,
“The captain said that I had to learn to separate the good idea from the idiotic in my head before I talked to him about them. And this one is a good idea. I’m sure of it.”
“You’re always sure of it.”
“Open the door for me?”
Rory sighed and knocked once for her again. She pushed her way into the cabin with the armload of clothing.
“Have you been doing some shopping, Azar?” the captain asked in an amused tone.
“No sir, I had found these earlier and I thought you’d like to have a look at them… since some of your things were lost in the storm.”
“Right, I’m still quite sore with you on that matter.”
“Yes sir. I thought I could make it up to you. These are all premium Izarough fashions.”
The captain snorted. “What do I want with Izarough fashions, boy?”
“I just thought… I just thought that if we were going to a port… that if we all looked like we were from a ship of the north that it would be easier.”
The captain stared at her for a moment before his eyes lit up. “Perhaps I won’t feed you to the serpents, boy. Get the mates for me.”
Azara grinned and ran out of the cabin. She ran up to the quarterdeck where she found the first mate keeping watch over the crew.
“Captain wants you, sir,” she told him.
He nodded curtly and followed her down. She ran toward the bow where the second was stationed with a work crew. The first mate entered the cabin behind her.
“Sir! The captain needs you in the cabin,” Azara called to Windglider.
He set down the equipment he was holding and barked a few orders to one of his watch and headed to the cabin. Azara followed slowly, winding her way back to where Rory was working. He looked up at her suspiciously.
“What have you done?”
“Who, me? I just brought something to the attention to the captain. What he does with it is up to him,” she said, smiling quite proudly.
It was near a half hour later when the captain and the mates emerged, looking quite different.
“ALL HANDS AHOY!” the mate bellowed.
The crew came out of every which way and assembled around the officers’ cabin. The captain was wearing a rather short tight fitted blue coat that buttoned along the far right side. A bright yellow shirt peeked out over the collar and matched a sash that was tied around his waist. The pants were of a very wide legged cut that went over his boots. He had put a dark blue hat over his shaven skull and was staring at the crew rather menacingly. The mates were wearing coats with a very similar cut in different shades of black and grey and they looked very uncomfortable.
The second tried to pull out the collar a bit and made a disgruntled face before the captain addressed the crew.
“You lot are probably wondering what in Och we are doing, wearing these Izarough rags, well I’m sorry to inform you that you’ll all be dressed like this before the day is out. As you all know we took quite a bit of damage during the storm. We won’t be able to sail all the way back to Escape without making repairs. Out only option is to go to a port north.”
At this the crew let loose a few grumbling remarks and some general negative comments for the plan.
“Men, here me out. We all know very well that if we try to go into port as a ship from the Escape Islands, we’ll probably be taken and hung. There are enough Izarough soldiers in all of the southern ports now that they run the local laws. But, if we were… say an Izarough merchant ship, we’d have no problem getting supplies and being allowed to be in dock long enough to get our bowsprit and jib boom fixed. So, today we all become upstanding citizens of the Izarough empire,” he said rather evilly, pulling the flag that had been taken from the merchant ship from behind his back.
Some of the crew smiled, a few laughed, some shook their heads and all started conversations.
“Lads, lads… What say you?” He held up his left hand, empty.
There was a mixed cry of “Nay” among a few crewmembers. Then the captain held up his right hand with the flag. A louder cry of “Aye!” could be heard through out the crowd.
“That decides it then. Go search the holds, see what clothing you can find, anything to give you a northern appearance,” the captain nodded to the mates and disappeared back into his cabins.
Rory turned to find Azara beaming.
***
“Steady lads. Let’s try not to look too suspicious,” the captain said under his breath, glancing up to the Izarough flag waving on their mast.
So far they hadn’t drawn much attention from any of the crowd on the dock. The captain had decided to head to a fairly large port in a popular bay. The thought was that with so many other ships there, theirs would hardly be noticed. The disadvantage to this was that there were a high number of Izarough soldiers occupying the city. They pulled the Spite and Malice in slowly along a vacated spot along one of the docks. The bay was deep enough that the ships could pull up directly to the dock and drop anchor.
The harbormaster was already waiting for them. The captain walked over to the rail and called down to him.
“Ahoy!”
“Are you the captain of this vessel?” the harbormaster called back.
“Aye,” the captain said, nodding.
By this time the men were putting out a board down to the dock to climb off. The captain walked off with the first mate at his heel. He stopped just short of the harbormaster.
“It’s thirty silvers to tie up here per day,” he informed the captain. “Your name, sir?”
“Captain Akrin Gulick and this here is the Spiced Chalice,” the captain flashed a toothy grin. “We ran into a thick storm and busted up the bow. Lucky enough we were close by here. Thirty silvers you say?”
“Aye. Thirty.”
The captain rubbed his chin momentarily and then pulled from his coat something that looked like gold jewelry. “Will this do for today’s stay? I’ll be trading some of my cargo for coins this day to purchase equipment. I will have silvers for you tomorrow, and possibly the next. Hopefully, my men can work quick enough to get us on our way.” The captain smiled again and held out the bit of gold.
The harbormaster took it and looked it over before nodding. “Tomorrow then, send a man to the port house.”
“Aye, that I will. Thank you sir,” the captain replied and waved up to the crew.
He and the mate headed down the dock.
The second turned back from the rail. “Alright men! The capt’n’s off to check the local buyers. See if we can sell off some of this stuff. Get ourselves some new timber and get to work. I want the first watch to start getting us some fresh water. Dump the rancid barrels and head to the town’s well. We want to be in and out of here as quick as we can. If you can avoid conversation, do so. Half of you don’t know nothing ‘bout the north and we don’t want anyone getting suspicious of us. Second watch get to work removing the broken bow and jib boom. Salvage the wood for fire. Third watch I got here a list of what the captain’s planning to sell here, start going though the hold and get it on deck to offload. Look sharp about it lads!”
Rory and Azara ran off with the first watch’s men to bring up the barrels. She hoped that if she got involved in helping that she’d get to go into town with the rest of them. Azara desperately wanted to see a foreign land. She helped Rory to dump one of the barrels over the side and bring it down to the dock. They returned and did this a few more times with the rest of the men.
When all of the bad water was gone, there were fifteen empty barrels on the deck.
“Boys!” the second called over the rail. “Go get us some carts in town to use for the afternoon,” he ordered, tossing them a few copper pieces.
Rory caught the coins and started down the deck. Azara skipped after him.
“Oh this is so exciting! I can’t believe we get to go into the city. I thought for sure they’d try to keep us on the ship. I can’t wait to see all the different shops. Do you think the people look different? I wonder what they wear. And how they talk. Do the south traders have a different language than us? How many Izaroughians are there here?”
Rory ignored her and kept walking. Azara hardly noticed because as soon as one question left her mouth she was already asking another one and her mind had skipped ahead several. Rory smiled to himself and started walking faster. He was excited himself, but not as exasperatingly as his companion.
The city was huge and busy and they had only entered the very edge of the city off of the docks. The buildings had a strange architecture to them. All were whitewashed, tall and narrow. They had skinny long windows on the upper floors. There were many vivid colored textiles covering doorways and hanging over the walks. The whole city was as wild as their market place in Sevens Port. There were merchants and booths every which way. People were selling all manner of things. Azara walked with her head bent back, trying to look at everything. Rory scanned the crowds for carts. He spotted a booth that had two empty carts at its side.
Rory approached the man selling what looked like some sort of fruit.
“Sir? Are those your carts?”
“Yes, what about them?”
“Can we rent them from you sir? For our ship to bring barrels of water to load? I have 4 coppers to use them for the next few hours. Will that do?”
The man thought about it for a moment, looking down at the coins in Rory’s outstretched hand.
“Alright then. Have them back here by sun down. And what ship is it?”
“The Sp—The Spiced Chalice, Sir.”
He nodded and took the coppers. Rory grinned and pulled Azara away from the fruit over to the carts.
“Can you pull one on your own?” he asked.
“I think so… Let me try,” she said, grabbing a hold of the pull bar.
Empty, Azara had no trouble pulling it down the road. She followed Rory back down the dock to the ship. The first watch was waiting for them with all of the barrels. They immediately began to fill the carts. The children were pushed to the side as larger stronger men pulled the carts way to the find the well.
“Should we follow?” Azara asked, wanting to go back into the city.
“Yeah I think we should. They may need help bringing up water.
The children followed the carts through the city’s streets. Passing though the huge marketplaces. It a city this size, they reckoned that there would be several wells available to get water. The carts came to a halt as the head of the watch waved. He had found a huge fountain in the center of a large open market. There were many people there, filling buckets and barrels themselves. The men unloaded the cart and waited to use of the filling cups.
The head of the watch glanced in their direction. Rory and Azara were just standing off to the side looking around at the buildings. To the men who’d been sailors most of their lives, all ports started to look alike, but they could tell that the children were practically dumbfounded by the southern trader city.
“Boys!” the head of the watch called.
“Sir!” Rory and Azara said together.
“Here,” he handed them one copper each. “Go on now, be back to the ship before sundown.” He gave them a smile and pushed them out into the crowd.
Azara giggled and grabbed the top of Rory’s arm, pulling him into the main thoroughfare of the city. The walked around, looking at all the curious items for sale. Many of the shops were similar to the shops of Sevens Port, but much larger and full of a wider variety of wares. The pair agreed to buy themselves something sweet with their coppers and ended up sharing a large sticky bun covered in sugary syrup.
The were wiping their hands off in another smaller well when they saw the captain and the mate pass by.
“Let’s follow them! It will be like a game!” Azara said excitedly.
Rory squinted his eyes in mock thought before he nodded. The children tailed the captain and the mate for several streets. Ducking behind carts and booths every time they turned or stopped. They were having so much fun they didn’t realize that they’d followed the officers down a rather shady looking alley, filled with a much more questionable patrons.
The captain approached a large outdoor market and began looking through the wares. Azara and Rory realized quickly that they were selling not only items that looked like they could have been stolen, but they were selling slaves as well. There were men and women looked in carts and cages with wooden bars. Some of them looked healthy, but most had a sickly look them. Rory and Azara crept father into the market.
The captain was purchasing some wooden box from a man and looked to be in deep discussion with him. The children though that he must have bought something so that he could have the chance to talk the man into buying a load off of the ship. Rory crept closer ducking behind a table. Azara ventured to join him and slipped behind another table. She was next to an opening to a tent that looked like it belonged to the man speaking with the captain.
Azara motioned for Rory to follow and she ducked through the opening into the tent.
It was dim inside, but enough sunlight was coming through the main entrance to let them see around. The tent was filled with a few other items, crates and barrels. There was also a pallet in the corner and a cooking area. There were personal items around as well.
But the thing that had caught Azara’s attention and had her posed completely stiff in horror was the cage directly in front of her. Rory stopped dead next to her.
“Oh Spirits…” he said quietly.
Inside of the cage was a creature neither child had ever seen before. And by the looks of it not many ever would, as it was as near death as anything they’d ever seen. Whatever it was, it looked like it belonged in the ocean, yet it was taking long drawn raspy breaths from it’s gapping mouth. The skin that covered its body was so pale and it looked like it had a bluish tint to it. Its head was hairless and had a what looked like a fin arching down from the top center down to the base of the neck. It was curled into a little hunkered ball, its hands reaching out, trying to grasp the bars. Its fingers were long scaled things with webbing between them. As they leaned closer they could see that there were matching scales along the top of its head climbing down to its forehead. Its feet were similar with long webbed toes. Patches of scales could be seen on its spine and sides.
The creature was terribly thin and looked like it had been starved, the little clothing it was wearing draped on its figure. It had on a thin gauzy wrap around its upper body and a matching loincloth at its waist. The way it was breathing, and gasping dry breaths, neither Azara or Rory doubted that it needed water. Or to be in water.
“We have to rescue it Rory! We have to!” Azara whispered loudly.
Rory nodded in agreement. If they left it now, surely it would die. “How will we get it out of here?” he asked.
Azara looked around the tent quickly and spied a long dark robe among the owner’s personal things. She crept quietly over to it, glancing repeatedly back to the tent opening. She hoped that the captain would keep speaking with him and he would not have a reason to enter his tent. She reached for the robe and pulled it from his things. She tucked it up to her chest as crept back to Rory next to the cage.
“I think I almost got it open,” Rory said as he used his knife to cut through the bindings on the door.
Azara looked up the entrance as a shadow passed by it. No one entered and she breathed a sigh of relief. Rory carefully opened the cage door held it ajar. Azara leaned in and cautiously lifted the creature’s head. Rory helped her to bring it out of the cage. Together they held it in their laps and tried to put the robe over its fragile body. Azara cradled its head and shoulders in her arm and looked down at its face.
It had a long narrow face and hollowed cheeks. It opened its mouth to gasp for air once again and Azara caught site of its little fish like teeth. Its lips were thin and tinged blue green. Its nose was small and pushed practically flat against its face. Its eyes remained shut but Azara could see that it had no lashes or eyebrows. The little scales rimmed its ears and the base of its jaw.
Rory helped to pull the hood up over its head. The two looked at one another in silent agreement. They started to creep to the little opening in the tent’s side, carrying the creature between them. Azara peeked out of the opening to see if they could make an easy get away. The black market was still very busy and she doubted that their movement would be noticed by anyone. She crept out farther and looked over the table to see if the owner of the tent was still occupied. The captain was still there and the mate had returned with some of the third watch with bits of cargo in one of the carts Rory had paid the vendor for.
Azara crawled back and took a hold of the creature’s head and shoulders. Rory followed out of the tent with its legs in his hands. The crawled a little farther together until they were behind something tall enough for them to stand. Rory stood first and took the creature from Azara’s arms, holding it up against him. Azara stood next to him to help take the weight. They found that whatever this thing was, it was very tall. Almost a head taller than Rory. They each slid one of its arms around their shoulder and grabbed it around its waist. Its head lulled down and Rory tried to position it so that it was leaning against him rather than bobbing ahead of them.
“Ready?”
“Yes, let’s get out of here.”
They started to walk as quick as they could dragging the creature between them down the alley and out into a better part of the city. They winded their way around the streets, pausing now and again to catch their breath. They found their way to one of the city’s wells and sat down next to it. There were quite a few people around it, women doing washing and men filling drinking buckets. Azara slipped out from under the creatures arm and pulled her small leather tankard off of her belt. She dipped it into the water and brought it down to the creature. She tucked back the hood slightly and put the cup to its mouth. Rory helped to tilt its head back so she could pour some of the water down its throat.
“Not so fast Azara, it can only take so much in. We’ll give it a little more in a minute,” Rory said.
They waited a few minutes, each taking drinks of water themselves. Rory gave the creature another drink before replacing his tankard too.
“Azara… what are we going to do with it? I don’t see how we can get it on to the ship without anyone noticing… but it can’t take care of itself. If we leave it, it will die.”
“I know Rory… Let’s get it down to the dock and I’ll think of how we can get it on the ship. We can bring it down to your little room and hide it there. When we get back to Escape we can find somewhere to keep him… or maybe your family will look after him, or someone.”
The lifted the creature again between them and headed to the docks.
***
Rory looked down at Azara. “I don’t think this is going to work.”
“You always say that. Look, they’re all very busy, they’ll never notice.”
“What if one of them stops us? And wants to see inside.”
“They’ll only look on top, Rory. Come on,” she sighed.
Together they lifted the burlap sack and started down the dock to board the ship. The men were all working quickly in the last rays of the day to get as much done on the bow as they could. The majority were up there while the rest were repairing sails and parts of the masts. The captain and the mate were still out in the city somewhere.
Rory was bent over with most of the sack on his back and Azara was right behind him holding up as much as she could. They climbed the plank up to the main deck and headed straight for the hold.
“Whacha got there, boys?” one of the men asked, looking down from the mast.
Azara looked up and smiled. “Stole this off a cart. ‘sgot some cloth and candles and stuff in it. We’re going to give it to Rory’s father to see in his shop when we get back.” She smiled sweetly at him as they continued walking.
The man shook his head and went back to work saying rather loudly, “Stole it off a cart, they did. Didn’t take too long for ‘em to start actin’ like real pirates, eh?”
Another man next to him chuckled.
Rory and Azara hurried down the ladder. Carefully holding the sack and passing it down to the hold. They carried it back to the stern. The main cabin was practically empty, most being up and about since they were in port. They got into the weapons store and shut the door. The room was pitch black, but by now they knew their way around without light. Rory climbed through the cabinet and turned around to pulled the bag through.
It took some time, but with a mild amount of difficulty they managed to bring the sack up into the little room. It was terribly crowded once they were there and Rory struggled to get the candle lit. Azara climbed back down and stood in the little hole too make more room. From there she helped Rory to open the sack and very carefully unwrap the creature who was concealed inside.
“He is still wheezing a lot.”
“Or she. Whatever it is, it needs food and water.”
“Do you think it needs to be in water? Like maybe its half fish.”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“Its skin is so dry.”
“I know. Maybe we should get a bucket of water or something and try soaking it.”
“Here help me get its robe off then.”
“Why?”
“I have an idea. I think it will help.”
Rory and Azara slipped the creature out of the robe they had snuck it out of the city with. Azara folded it up and ducked down out of the room. She ran off and up the hatch.
Rory tried to arrange the creature as best he could and then took his tankard and slipped out of the room as well. He went to find Simon and get a ration of water. He found the cook held up in the galley as usual, making a pot of stew.
“Good evening Simon! What are you making? It smells delicious!” Rory greeted him.
Simon grunted.
“Simon, I was wondering if maybe I could get a water skin, I know there were some taken from that merchant ship and I thought it would be better to have.”
“There’s two left, over there,” Simon waved absently over his shoulder.
Rory scanned the galley and found the skins. He filled it with water from the open barrel. “Can I take the other for Azar? I know he’d like one too.”
Simon grunted.
“Thanks Simon!” Rory said, filling the second skin. He put both skins over his shoulder and glanced into the pot to see the stew.
At the moment it was very watery with what looked like a beef broth. There were a few potatoes in it as well, slowly cooking.
“May I take some of this broth Simon? Only that my stomach is a bit upset from something Azar and I ate in town and I think broth would be best for me tonight…” Rory gave him a trust worthy smile and Simon grunted.
The cook took out a wooden bowl and filled it with the broth of the stew and handed it to Rory, who took it graciously and took off out of the galley. He shut the do or and found Azara making her way down the ladder clutching a bucket.
They walked back to the weapons store and climbed into the little room. Rory positioned himself so the creature’s head was leaning against his chest. He held the bowl of broth up to its lips and let the warm liquid flow down its throat. He gave it a few sips and paused and then a few more until the bowl was empty. He took one of the water skins and gave it some of the water as well. He set them aside and then turned to Azara who was waiting with the bucket.
“Alright, what have you got?”
She pulled from the bucket the robe, which was now thoroughly soaked with seawater. It was much more difficult to maneuver the creature into a wet robe than it was to get it into it dry, but they managed it. Azara pulled the hood around its head and wrapped its arms against its chest. They laid the creature against the stern wall. Both were relieved to hear its breathing had eased.
“You better get back to the cabin. The second might want his dinner soon or want you for something.”
“You’re right. I’ll try to come down and check on him later. Are you going to stay?”
“For awhile, yes. But it would be a little suspicious to be down here when there’s work to be done. I suspect they’ll set up a guard watch and all.”
“Alright. I’ll be back then later.”
“Alright.”
***
They were four days at sea when the creature regained consciousness. Rory was the one watching over it when its eyes fluttered open. They were a vibrant turquoise color. It stared at Rory and blinked a few times, then looked around the small room.
“Hello,” Rory ventured.
The creature responded with a noise Rory had only heard from sea animals like dolphins. It sounded like a high-pitched cackle from deep in its throat. He could see its neck vibrate.
“I don’t understand… I’m sorry. But you’ll have to stay quiet because no one knows you’re here,” Rory said, holding a finger up to his lips, hoping it would understand his sign.
It made another little noise, much softer than the first, almost like a little chirp. It stared at Rory with a deep sorrow filled eyes before it fell back into sleep. Rory sat stunned, not knowing what to do.
Azara’s head popped up out of the hole with a bowl full of biscuits and venison jerky.
Rory gave her a pleading look and said, “It woke up… It woke up for a moment.”
Azara froze and turned to look at the unconscious creature again. “What—what happened?”
“He—it looked at me and tried to speak and then it passed out again.”
“What did he say?”
“I don’t know… it wasn’t words really. Just a set of noises like a dolphin would make.”
Azara climbed up into the space and passed Rory a biscuit and a piece of the jerky. She had a ration for herself as well, but broke off a piece of the bread and some of the meat.
“Maybe he’ll wake again and will want to eat something solid. He’ll get better faster if he does,” she said sort of absently, looking over the figure.
The creature looked less sickly than when they had brought it aboard. The constant intake of water and broth was doing wonders and Azara was sure that keeping it damp was helping it as well.
“What are we going to do with him when he wakes up, I mean really wakes up? I don’t know if we’ll be able to speak to it, or make it understand up. What if it gets upset?”
“Well, maybe when he wakes up he’ll want to go into the water. And we can just let him go sometime at night when he’s strong enough.”
Rory shrugged. “I guess you cold be right.”
Azara finished her jerky and put a little water into the bowl, softening the bread almost until it was mush. She shifted so she was close to the creature and put her hand softly on its shoulder.
“Hey, hello? Are you awake? Hey, dolphin boy? Wake up, we have some food for you.”
“Dolphin boy?” Rory repeated, rolling his eyes.
“Well. We need to call him something.”
“You don’t even know if it is a boy.”
“Well I feel bad calling him ‘IT’ all of the time. It’s rude.”
Rory shook his head and leaned back taking a swig of water. He closed his eyes momentarily. He hadn’t been sleeping well, his dreams were full of fitful images. He was startled when he heard a slight click like whistle sound. He looked down quickly to see Azara sitting wide-eyed and dumbfound, holding out the bowl of soggy bread.
The creature was struggling into a seated position and Rory leaned over to help it. He turned and gave Rory another looked that felt like it was reaching into the very core of him. It turned back to Azara and reached with its webbed fingers to take the bowl from her. It stared at the bread and the little bit of jerky and smelled it. It reached in with its other hand and took a small bit of the bread and put it to its lips. Once it realized that the food was safe it ate the rest very quickly and drank what little water was left in the bowl. Azara handed it one of the water skins silently.
The creature drank the whole thing down and handed it back to Azara. Then it stared at them each in turn.
“What’s your name, dolphin?”
It just stared at her and then it opened its mouth, letting out another series of clicks and whistles.
Azara smiled and put a hand to her chest, “Azara. I am Azara.” The she pointed to Rory and repeated the introduction, “Rory. That’s Rory.” She pointed at the creature.
It blinked its turquoise eyes very slowly and let out a very strange chirp.
“Since I can’t pronounce that, we’re going to call you Fin. Short of Dolphin. Is that alright?” Azara asked.
“I don’t think it understands Azara.”
“Probably not. But we learned to speak when we were kids, we just have to treat him the same. Keep talking to him, he’ll pick up some I’m sure.”
“But Azara, I don’t even think his throat can make sounds like us. He’s not human.”
“No, he’s Fin. Did you enjoy that food Fin? We’ll bring more tomorrow for you. You should rest now,” Azara continued helping to reposition the creature so it was lying down again. “Rest now, Fin. I better go back to the cabin. The captain will be wanting something I’m sure. I’ll see you in the morning,” she directed at Rory.
“Good night, Azara.”
Azara slid back down out of the space and into the weapons room. She paused for a moment, leaning against the door before opening it. She felt strangely. Like the creature had known her for some reason. The way that it stared at her. She could see his bright huge eyes etched in her mind. She shook her head and walked out into the main cabin.
It took her only a moment to return to the officer’s cabin. Inside the captain and the mate were finishing the meal she had brought them earlier. She gathered up the plates and wooden bowls to bring back down to Simon. She caught from the conversation that they would hopefully be reaching the Escape Islands the next evening. She slipped out of the door with the dishes and climbed back down into the hold.
Simon greeted her with silence as usual and took the things from her hands with a scowl. She gave him a grin and returned to the main deck. She looked out into the sky and tried to pick out stars she recognized. Some of the crew had been trying to teach her star navigation on the late night watches. She was beginning to pick it up. She walked back into the cabin and went to her nook in the wall. The captain and the mate ignored her for the most part and continued their discussion.
Azara wrapped herself in her blanket and slipped off into uneasy dreams.
***
The next day Azara was clearing the breakfast things from the captain’s table as he finished his strong tea when she noticed he had out a copy of the Dialogue of the Spirits, a religious text. The captain must have noticed her staring at it because he kicked out the chair for her once again, indicated she should sit.
“You know very much about the Spirits boy?”
“Some sir. We didn’t’ attend the temple ceremonies as much after my father died. There was always too much to do.”
“To much to pay homage to the Spirits of this world?”
Azara looked down, slightly ashamed. She knew she should have been at the temple more. Rory always was stopping there.
The captain sighed. “Well I hope you take the opportunity when we return to attend a moonrise ritual. I think it would be good for you. After all, the Spirit of the Moon controls the lives of sailors as much as the Spirit of the Seas. It’s good luck you know, to burn moongrass before a voyage. It ensures the spirits will guide us where we need to go. To do the things we need to do.”
“Do the spirits control our destiny, sir?”
“They control all things, Azar.”
“But what if, what if we do something that goes against the life the spirits laid out for us?”
The captain gave her a stern look. “Explain yourself, boy.”
“What if the life the spirits put at our feet wasn’t what we wanted, and we did something to change it?”
“Like join the crew of a ship?”
Azara tried to repress the flush she felt on her face. “Yes sir. What if we did something to change our fate? Would we be punished by the spirits?” She was speaking more to the cuffs of her coat than to the captain.
He did not speak for quite awhile. Finally, Azara turned her head and looked up at him.
“Azar, do you remember on the map I showed you the Heart Islands to the north?”
“Aye sir.”
“Do you know what they say about the Heart Islands?”
“No sir.”
“They say that an Oracle lives there. That she’s lived there since the beginning of time. They say that the Spirit of Time speaks directly to her and she knows all things.”
“An Oracle? In the Heart Islands?”
“Aye, Azar. They say that when she looks at you she sees you not as you are, but as you will be.”
“Wow…that would be amazing.”
“Aye, amazing is a good word to use. It would also be a great power, and used in the wrong hands it could be harmful. To know your future may prevent it. It may change it. You may not make the same choices if that sight was given to you. Do you understand?”
“That…that it’s not wise to hear your future?”
“The Spirits alone know what is in store for us and if we listen they will guide us in subtle ways to make the right choices when the times comes to make them. No one can know what they were meant to be or where they were meant to go in life, no one save the Oracle of the North and she speaks to very few. And some say she is the embodiment of a spirit herself, she understands the danger of her knowledge. Azar, you worry about whether you have defied the spirits by coming aboard this ship because your family wanted you to stay? To stay as a farmer is that right?”
“Aye sir.”
“What if the life the spirits wanted you to lead is here? Starcatchers weren’t always farmers, you know. A name like that, it implies the possibility of so much more. Let the spirits guide you Azar, you will make the right choice.”
Azara smiled, stood and took the captain’s dishes away. She ran with them down to the galley and gave them to Simon, who looked none to happy to take them. Then she ran to try and find Rory, who was somewhere near the bow.
“Rory!”
“What? What is it?” Then quietly he added, “Is it Fin? Is Fin ok?”
“I—I haven’t been to see him. No, I just came from the captain’s cabin—“
“A cabin boy? Coming from the captain’s cabin? Heaven’s no! This is a tragedy!” Rory mocked her.
“Stop, listen! The captain said that there’s an Oracle that lives in the Heart Islands. An Oracle that knows the future. He said that she’s the voice of the Spirit of Time!”
“What’s this to do with us, Azar?”
“Well, don’t you think that it’s odd that we find Fin and save him? Don’t you feel it? When he looks at you? Like there’s something more? Like we’re missing something? Or forgetting something? And Fin, he knows, but he can’t tell us… But this Oracle she could. She could explain everything.”
“Azar…What do you mean, like we’re forgetting something?”
“Last night, when Fin looked at me for the first time. It was like I knew him, or I should have but I couldn’t put my figure on it. But I felt something big—like it was fate.”
Rory leaned against the rail and frown in thought. He had put side the strange feeling he had when he had looked into Fin’s eyes but now that Azara described it he found himself agreeing. There was something odd about the creature they were nursing back to heath, and there was something that felt right about being here and now.
“I think you are right. When we get back to Escape, Azara, I think we should take him to the Temple of the Spirits. I think we should look for our guidance there instead of trying to find this oracle.”
Azara sighed, “Oracles sound more exciting than the Temple, but I suppose we should go there first. Maybe there will be someone on Escape who will know how to understand him.”
“He responded to some hand signals last night. Maybe we can we can work out some sort of sign language with him.”
“Let work with him after the watch, we’ll get some good hot food from Simon and see what we can figure out.”
“Alright. I don’t know that we’ll have a lot of time, we should be nearing Escape this afternoon. It should come into view after midday. But we’ll see, I’ll meet you down there.”
***
Azara balanced two bowls of hot stew in her arms with two filled water skins strapped to her back as she walked to the rear of the main cabin. There was a group of men holed up against the wall playing cards that gave her a glance and went back to playing and discussing what they were going to do as soon as the ship made it back to Escape. They had been lucky this voyage, they had been able to capture a ship within a week of setting to sea and would be returning to their port with hardly a month past. The captain planned on hitting all of the outlying islands before pulling into Sevens Port. Several of the crewmembers lived in Upper and Lower Mirror and a few were from Far Bay.
Azara climbed into the small space in the stern to find Rory sitting across from Fin miming something that could have been a description of their voyage. Both of them turned to look at Azara. Rory smiled and Fin made some chirping in her direction. Azara grinned and pushed the bowls into the room so she could climb all of the way up. They had already decided that they would give Fin one of their hot rations and split the other between them. Rory took one of the bowls and put it in Fin’s hands. The creature wrapped his webbed fingers around it and made a sighing noise.
Azara watched Fin as he smelled the stew and let the steam from his wrap around his face. He was still wearing the robe they had put on him and it was still quite damp. The room itself felt moist but warm, with all of their bodies crowded inside and the small candle going. Fin reached into the stew with his fingers, ignoring the small horn spoon. Immediately, he pulled his hand away and made a rapid clicking noise.
“Fin! Are you alright? I think he’s burned himself. Fin look, use the spoon.” Azara held up the horn spoon she and Rory were sharing and took some of the stew and blew on it to cool. She took a bite and handed the spoon back to Rory. “See Fin, use the spoon and you weren’t burn yourself.”
Fin watched them eat their bowl for a few moments and then took the spoon himself and inspected it. After a few moments he mimicked them and began eating his stew, which had cooled considerably since he’d attempted before. Once he mastered the use of the spoon he ate happily and quickly. Azara gave him one of the water skins that he started drinking from very quickly.
Rory set down the empty stew bowl and took a drink of water himself. Azara decided she should try again with the introductions. She began naming thing around the little space including herself, Rory, Fin and all of the objects within reach.
Fin listened intently, staring at both of them as they spoke very deeply. When Azara was done naming things a few times Fin launched into something that must have been an explanation of himself and where he was from in his own language.
He was speaking in a set of clicking noises and chirping but making hand gestures that gave Rory and Azara the impression that Fin had been attacked and imprisoned viciously. Azara crawled closer to him and took his scaled hands in hers.
“You’re safe now Fin. You’re safe. Rory and I are going to take care of you.” She nodded and smiled, hoping Fin would understand.
Fin gave her what probably was a smile but it looked almost sinister because of the shear number of little nubby fish teeth. Azara let his hands go gently and went to go.
“I better get up to the cabin. Captain’s off watch and all. I’ll be back later this afternoon and we’ll figure out how we’ll get him ashore.”
“Alright. Take the dishes?”
Azara scooped up the empty bowls and ducked under and out into the weapons store. She took off to the galley and returned the bowls and spoons to Simon.
Above deck the crew were adjusting the sails with the change of the wind and the direction of the ship. They were heading more west now that they should be in line with the islands. They expected to be within slight within the hour. , Azara headed off into the officers cabin and began cleaning up the things that were on the table. The captain had left a few things out and she knew they belonged on his desk. She knocked quietly on his door, expecting that he would be asleep.
“Enter,” his voice came through the door.
Azara opened the door slowly finding the captain at his desk working on what looked like a set of letters. Azara set the things from the other room onto an empty spot above him.
“See to the bedding, boy.”
Azara walked over to where the captain’s bed was and found it in disarray. As usual. She took off the blanket to straighten the linens. Behind her the captain pulled from the desk drawer the wooden box Azara and Rory had seen him purchase from the man who had Fin imprisoned. Azara watched him out of the corner of her eye as she pulled the blanket tight. He opened the box and pulled out what looked like a necklace and held it in his hand for a moment.
“It’s for my daughter,” he said, startling her. He must have noticed her watching.
She quickly finished with the bedding and went to leave. The captain was replacing the box into the desk drawer and standing. Azara let herself out of the room and went to see to the mates’ rooms.
That’s when they heard the calls.
“LAND HO! LAND HO! SMOKE ON THE HORIZON!”
Azara emerged from the first mate’s room as the captain was thundering out of the cabin. Almost all of the crew was pouring out on to the main deck, including Rory. All expressions darkened as they gazed out on the land mast that was their home, smoke billowing in the sky.
Azara could hear comments among the crew and she pushed her way to where Rory was standing. They were saying that it was too much smoke to be a harvest burning or anything else the island communities would be doing. Something was terribly wrong on Escape.
“FULL SAILS! NOW!” the captain cried.
Men flooded into the rigging, throwing up all of the extra canvas that they had. Azara was caught in the midst of the commotion, she tried to get back to the officers cabin, looking for something she could help with.
“GET OFF THE DECK AZAR!” the captain ordered.
She jumped and looked up to see that he was not in a mood to be argued with. She ran down to the hatch and carried herself back to sit with Fin.
She didn’t realize how terrified she was until she found herself sputtering to breath in the confined space. Fin was looking at her unblinking with those huge eyes of his. Azara wrapped her arms around herself and tried to calm down. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but the crew were all astir, and the captain had never yelled at her like that before. Whatever was happening on Escape, was not normal. Never in her life had there been enough smoke from fires on the islands to fill the sky.
“Fin… Fin something is wrong. I know you don’t understand what I’m saying right now. But I’m scared. There isn’t supposed to be something wrong on Escape. It’s supposed to safe. It’s home. Things can’t go wrong there.” She sighed and closed her eyes.
Eventually someone would come get her.
***
“Azara! Azara, wake up!” Rory was shaking her. “You need to come above deck now.”
His voice was shaking. That was the first thing Azara noticed. He sounded frightened. The second thing she noticed was that his hands were shaking as well. He rubbed his legs as if to steady them. Azara crawled after him to exit the little room. Fin was awake and must have been watching over her. They both gave him a small nod before they left.
On the deck the entire crew was assembled. Some were performing jobs, the rest were at the rails, watching. Azara stopped short and stared out over the water. In front of them, the islands loomed. Upper and Lower were directly ahead of them with Far off to their left and the North island off to the right. They could see some of the main island through the straights between the others. But it was clear that all of the islands were a blaze. Smoke rose from Upper and Lower Mirror most clearly. Men on the ship had taken off their hats and many had glassey looks to their eyes.
The ship headed south around Far island. As they went by the watched the buildings in Far Bay turn to ash, most had already collapsed. They turned their attentions to the Main Island as it came better into view. Azara stood close to Rory, watching and waiting.
They could only hope that whatever had caused the fires, it hadn’t reached their own homes. As they came up the southern point of the island closing in on Sevens Port, they knew that their worst fears were true. The town was burned to the ground. It must have been the start of the fires, or the first target on the islands.
“It’s gone. It’s… gone…” Rory was saying under his breath.
The crew was eerily silent. No one knew what to say. No one knew how to react. Their homes were gone. Their families and the lives they had left only weeks ago were gone, drifting away with the smoke as it rose in the air. There were tears running down Rory’s cheeks, as well as others of the crew. Azara was standing in disbelief.
“They can’t all be gone…some of them must have lived…” she mumbled.
They floated past the port, all that was left of the docks were the posts in the water. The scent was almost unbarable. Azara covered her face with her hands and sunk against the rail, she couldn’t look at it any more. They were passing the rest of the town and when they drifted past the rubble that should have been Rory’s family’s shop he started yelling.
“No!! NO!!”
He was gripping the rail so tight, his knuckles were white. Azara jumped to her feet and was going to try to comfort her friend, but someone was already there. Simon slipped a strong arm around Rory and turned him from the sight.
“Easy lad. Yellin’ ain’t going to bring them back. Let’s go below now, you don’t need to see any more of this. You too Azar.” Simon led Rory toward the hatch.
Other members of the crew were throwing similar fits of rage and others stood in silence sorrow. Azara looked up into the face of the captain as he stood on the bow looking out over the wasted islands. His face was contorted in anger and just before she went below, she caught his quiet order.
“Sail on. Sail on. The fires are still burning and that means the men who did this are still near by. We’ll find them. We’ll find them and kill them all. Spirits damn them! We devote every waking hour to bringing the same fate to those Izarough heathens that did this…SPIRITS! HEAR ME! GIVE US YOUR STRENGTH TO FIND THOSE THAT BURNED YOUR HOUSE AND YOUR PEOPLE!”
Rory and Azara both looked at one another and back at the captain, as the sky seemed to grow dark for a moment with ash the wind surged. It filled the sails and whipped through the crew’s clothing, blowing hot air and ash into their skin. Azara could see Rory’s fists clenched and his eyes shut.
“Come now, what the crew does now is not for you. Down we go lads,” Simon said softly.
Rory and Azara descended the ladder to the main cabin and Simon steered them into the galley. He put on water on to heat and began mixing some sort of herbs together into a set of tankards. Azara picked out the scent of lavender, but couldn’t make out the rest. Simon filled them with the hot water and handed them to the children.
“Drink that now and go rest. If I’m right, the ship will be sailing hard the next few days and there will be little shuteye. The captain is in more than a hunt now… he’s pursuing. He’ll need you both level headed. Now’s not the time to mourn, first we fight.”
“But why didn’t he stop? Why didn’t he go ashore… Azara’s right, there must be someone left… not everyone can be… can be…” Rory pleaded.
Simon gave him a hard look and turned to Azara and started at her for what seemed too long. She started to get uncomfortable and looked into the tea she was hold.
“Go rest now,” was all he said, staring at both of them oddly as they walked out of the galley.
***
“He knows something’s wrong! Look at him. Fin! Calm down,” Azara said weakly to the creature who was nearly thrashing around the small enclosure.
Fin had discarded the robe they had given him and was clambering about with a wild upset look in his eyes.
“He must smell the smoke. It’s everywhere,” Rory said distractedly.
“FIN, hush, it’s alright… we’ll be alright. The ship is fine. Nothing’s wrong with the ship,” she tried to make him understand.
He scuttled into one of the corners and pulled his body in tight. He made fists with his long webbed hands and clutched them to his forehead. He closed his eyes and Azara could see that the little fin on the back of his skull was expanding slightly.
Then suddenly, he pulled his hands down and let loose a deep and disturbing sound.
All three felt the ship rock and water hitting the sides of the haul almost became deafening.
“We must be in open water now. We must have sailed by Sevstown. It must have been the same…” Rory said.
***
The crew were all assembled on the deck. Seven days at sea knowing that everything and everyone that they called home was gone. Many looked worse for the wear. Their faces looked sleepless as if they spent half the night tossing and turning, envisioning those that they loved being burned by Izarough soldiers. Men from the kingdom of their father’s father’s fathers. And in truth, that is what every crewmember on the Spite and Malice had been doing for days. They looked and felt rugged. The rage was festering under their skin, so much that they had stopped cursing and discussing revenge and everyone stood in silent fury.
No one mentioned that the supplies were going to be running out soon.
No one thought about the empty water barrels.
Rory and Azara attempted to help the crew, attempted to perform their duties, but it was nearly no use. The captain and the mates weren’t taking meals in the officer’s cabin and she couldn’t make beds that were almost never slept on. When Rory went to tend to some menial task, he’d find several hands already doing it. Everyone was on edge and ship work seemed the only thing to cure the thoughts of sorrow or anger.
It was on that seventh day, when they were beginning to skirt the western coast of the continent that they saw sails bearing the mark of an Izarough war ship. The water was tricky in this area. There were several small out cropping of rocks and lesser islands to deal with. Rory looked around to the crew and felt as though it didn’t matter whether the ship on the horizon was the ship that attacked their islands, it waved a flag that they all knew were responsible. The words the merchant ship captain had said rang in his ears.
Your islands are nothing to us. The Empire of Izarough will crush you like a fly.
The wind shifted direction and helped to propel them toward the war ship more quickly. They would reach it by dusk. The pirates were already ready.
Azara had been passing out weapons already, the store was empty. The captain had told her to go to the cabin, but before she did, she went to see Fin. Their sign language communication with him had improved and he had benefited from the extra days of rest and what food they had to share with him. Azara stopped close to Rory and whispered.
“I brought Fin out of the space and let him walk around at the rear of the main cabin. I thought he could use the stretch. Being in that cage… the room down there isn’t much better. No one was down there so I thought it was safe.”
“How is he walking?”
“Not well at first, but he was doing better by the end. I think it wore him out though, he went back to sleep.”
“Probably better that he did. The noise that will be up here will only scare him, I think.”
“I better go, the mate is shooting me evil looks. Be careful, Rory.”
He turned and smiled, “Me? I’m always careful, it’s you we have to worry about.”
She laughed and headed for the cabin.
***
It was when they started the attack on the Izarough war ship that everything went wrong. The Spite and Malice, that carried at least double the crew of the small fighting vessel, should easily have out numbered and been at the advantage. However, as soon as the fighting began, another war ship appeared seemingly out of thin air from behind a bend in the coastline. It was sleek and terribly fast. Soon the Spite and Malice found herself sandwiched between two Izarough war ships, and the battle was not in their favor.
Azara could hear the sounds of chaos from outside of the cabin door. The captain was yelling, but the orders he gave made no sense. She didn’t understand why the fighting was on their decks, the pirates almost never allowed the enemy aboard.
She cautiously drew the small blade she had kept for herself from the weapons store and crept to the door. She took a deep breath and opened it enough for her to get out. Outside the ship was in ruins. Men were fighting to the bitter end on every side. There were bodies, some she recognized, and there was fire. The sails were a blaze. Azara stood stock-still, afraid to do anything.
And that’s when she caught sight of a scene she’d never be able to erase from her memories. The captain locked swords with a large warrior in armor and clothing she’d never seen before. They battled back and forth, the captain was a strong man, but he was clearly at a disadvantage with this fighter. She saw it in almost slow motion, the warrior grappled blades and let one hand drop, holding the captain’s attack off with on hand on his hilt, he reached for dagger from behind his back, and plunged it into the captain’s heart.
“NOOOOOOOOO!” Azara wailed.
She staggered backward against the cabin door. She reached for the handle and managed to get herself back inside. Without thinking she went into the captain’s cabin. She went to his desk and rummaged through the drawers. She found what she was looking for, the little box with the necklace the captain had bought for his daughter.
“We will return to Escape and if she’s alive, sir. I will give it to her. I promise!” she said to the man she knew was now in the realm of the spirits.
She ran back out of his cabin to look for her satchel. She packed her things quickly, putting the box safely inside. She put the satchel on as tightly as she could, securing it with her belt. She opened the door again, but found instead of an open path to escape, she found a wall of fire. Everything on the Spite and Malice was burning. The Izarough warriors were almost complete with their job, there was still minor fighting beyond the fire, she could hear.
“AZARA!” she heard Rory scream from somewhere.
She looked around wildly until she was practically knocked over by the boy as he jumped down from the stern castle, the ladder already nearly ash.
“Rory… Rory I thought you were dead… everyone,” Azara started to mumbled as Rory pulled her to her feet.
He was cut up all over, blood coming from a wound in his head. He was dirty with soot and sweat. They helped each other back into the officer’s cabin, coughing from the smoke.
“What are we going to do? The fire won’t take long to reach the inside of the cabin, we’ll be burned alive… the walls are already getting hot.”
“We need to escape Azara… we need to get out. The windows! The windows, do they have latches? Can we open them?”
“No, no they don’t but we can try to break them.”
They ran into the captain’s cabin and started looking for something heavy. Rory grabbed the chair from the desk and ran at the window with it, but the window didn’t break. It was so thick to withstand the battering of water waves. Rory started hitting it with anything he could find. The boy was near exhaustion and had lost a lot of blood.
“Stand back, Rory!”
Azara had found a small iron pike in the captain’s desk and with all her might she threw it at the window. The pane shattered into a million pieces and suddenly, they could see the stars in the night sky.
Rory sunk to the ground, unable to hold himself up.
Azara went to the window, coughing. Behind them the main officers’ cabin was burning and smoke was coming in from under the door. She used the wood from the chair to clear what was left of the glass and threw aside the captain’s bedding, as it was covered in shards of glass. She looked outside. The war ships were starting to disengage from the burning pirate ship.
“Rory… Rory, what about Fin? We left him all alone down there.”
“There’s no chance for it Azara. The Izaroughs went down into the hold first and set fires down there before they went for the sails. If he was down there, there’s no way he could have gotten out. We can’t think about it. We did our best by him. Now we’ve got to save ourselves if we can.”
“Come on Rory, our only chance is to jump. We’ve got to get off of this ship. We can swim for the shore.”
“I can’t Azara… I can’t hardly move. I don’t think I can swim.”
“We’ve got to try Rory, we can’t stay here and burn.”
Rory nodded weakly and let Azara help him to the window. She climbed part of the way out and looked for some sort of footing.
“Look Rory, I’ll balance here on the wood ledge, and you climb out, we’ll jump together. Ready?”
Rory nodded again, positioning himself into the window to leap.
“On three… one…two…three!”
They jumped.
It seemed like ages before they hit the water. They both plunged deep into the seawater, still clutching hands. They kicked and flailed with their feet and free hands until they broke the surface. Both gasping for air. Azara was clearly doing better, Rory struggled to stay above the water. Azara grabbed a hold of him with arm around his chest. She fought to keep them both above the waves.
The warships were pulling away now. And she swore she heard someone start to yell, point them out in the water, but before her attention could be drawn to it, she yelled to Rory.
“Look! At the rudder!”
Around the rudder was a hole broken through the wood.
“He must have used something from the weapons store. Oh, Rory, he made it out. He’s alive somewhere…”
And just as she said it, Rory passed out and stopped kicking. It was all she could do to keep them up. They kept going under and Azara tried to hold Rory’s head above water as she went down and bobbed up spitting seawater.
Then she felt it, long cold fingers around her forearm. She felt Rory being pulled from her grip and held up high in the water. She turned her head back as much as she could and found herself face to face with Fin, who was grinning with his fish teeth at her. Then everything went black.
***
Azara sputtered awake on cold dry sand. She sat up too quickly and felt dizzy, driving her back into the sand. Above her, the sky was light, but grey. It was a winter mid morning and the wind was harsh. There was another source of light and Azara rolled over onto her side and found herself looking into a lovely warm fire. She could see that Rory was lying close to it, but still looked unconscious. On the other side of the fire she could make out another figure moving and she forced herself up again to see who it was. Her memories of getting off of the ship were somewhat clouded. Her and Rory had both inhaled so much smoke by then.
She was surprised to find a completely dressed Fin happily preparing fish.
“What are you wearing, Fin?” Azara asked somewhat humorously.
Fin was wearing an old pale green dress that was a few sizes too large and looked as though it had been patched through several times. Over that he had tied what looked like a thin scarf around his waist, holding up the dress so he could walk. He looked up to Azara as she spoke. He set down the fish on the flat rock he was working on and walked over to where Azara was lying.
Azara repeated her question, tugging on the dress hem and giving him an imploring look.
Fin took a stick out of the sand and proceeded to draw what looked like a building, perhaps a house, and a line from it. He drew on the line several squares and pointed to those and back to the clothing he was wearing and then pointed inland through the woods that lined the beach.
“You took those? From a house? Clothes that were out to dry?” She wasn’t really asking, as he could understand her, but she nodded to him, indicating that she understood the drawing he had made and smiled at him.
Fin grinned back and suddenly Azara remembered seeing him the night before. Fin had saved them. He must have escaped from the ship and been in the water when they plunged into it from the captain’s cabin. Rory had blacked out, and Azara had been struggling and Fin had come to the rescue.
Azara stood and followed Fin over to the fish he was cleaning. He had caught several smaller fish that looked quite edible. She took his webbed hands in her and looked him in the eyes.
“Thank you Fin. Thank you for saving us,” she told him seriously. Trying to make him understand.
Fin gave her a clicking noise deep from his throat and smiled. He waved her over toward Rory as if beckoning her to tend to him. She nodded and went to Rory’s side.
He had been bleeding she remembered, but it looked as if Fin had done something to tend to those as well. He had used large leaves from the nearby plants to cover the cuts and tied them with what looked like tightly wound seaweed. As Azara looked down at him she thought he looked like he needed water.
“Rory? Rory, wake up.” She shook him gently.
Rory’s eyes fluttered open and he stared at Azara for a few minutes before he spoke.
“Where are we?” he asked.
“We’re on a beach somewhere. On the main continent coast I think. I’m trying to remember where we were when we attacked the war ship. Fin escaped and pulled us ashore. He swam with both of us, unconscious. I don’t know how he did it. But now he seems chipper enough. Like all he needed was a good swim in the ocean to put him back into top health. He’s making us fish to eat, and he found a house not far away, took some clothes. So he’s sort of in disguise. I think he knew he couldn’t walk around the way he was. Here let me help you up.” Azara helped Rory to sit up slowly, careful not to press on any of his wounds.
“What is all this on me? It smells funny.”
“Fin dressed your wounds while you were asleep. I’m not sure what plants he put on it, looks like he made a salve of some sort too. You’re right it does smell.”
Fin called to them with a dolphin chuckle. He was standing, holding out two fish fully cooked and resting in a broad leaf. Azara stood and took them from him, offering one to Rory who was still seated.
“Thank you Fin,” she said.
Fin, however, was not enjoying the same meal that they were. He had taken the fish for himself and cut it in several long narrow slices and rolled them up.
“Are you going to eat those raw, Fin?” Azara asked, making a face.
Instead of answering her, he popped one of the rolls of raw fish into his mouth and chewed it noisily.
“Eew,” Azara said, trying to focus on her own food.
They all ate quietly not speaking. When Rory finished his fish he started looking around.
“Where do we go from here? We’ve got to find a town or something. Where are we going to go? I mean we can try to go back to Escape again, maybe we can get on a ship going that direction. What am I saying? No ship goes to Escape unless they belong to Escape and all of those are… are gone. But maybe we should go back, to see if anyone is alive,” Rory said.
Azara looked up the coastline to the north and then down to the south.
“I think we should start walking north. I think we’ll have a better chance of finding a village or town that way. And if they’re Izarough, we should be able to blend in without much trouble,” she said, pointing up the beach so Fin would understand.
Unfortunitly, either Fin did not understand or did not agree because he shook his head roughly and made to walk south. He got a several yards down the sand before looking back to see if they were following.
“I guess we’re going south. Put the fire out Azara,” Rory said, struggling to stand.
Rory gathered up what few things they had. Mostly themselves, the clothes on their backs, and what had been attached to their belts. Azara had her satchel still and in it were a few items of clothing and a few things that would help them along the way. Most importantly, fire stones and a water skin. Azara pulled on the satchel and kicked sand over the fire. The pair glanced at each other and then hurried to follow Fin, who was now calling to them in a horrible crying sound.
The three walked south along the coastline. Azara in the lead, walking in the middle with Fin on her right walking half in the wake of the water and Rory behind her and to her left, still recovering his strength.
***
“We have to come across something soon. We’ve been walking all day,’ Azara complained.
Both Fin and Rory ignored her since it was at least the tenth time she had said this. The sun was setting and they would have to find somewhere to spend the night soon. Just as Rory was suggesting this, they walked around a bend and saw walls to a town.
“Thank the Spirits!” Azara called somewhat dramatically.
They kept walking and when they reached the walls, they had to start walking along its perimeter to find a town gate. Ahead of them a ways was a road leading into to a large arched stone gate. It looked as if it were guarded by Izarough soldiers. Fin stopped short and pulled on a cloak he had been carrying, something else he had stolen from the house in the woods. He pulled it tight over his head and shielded his face. He made sure that it covered his hands as well.
Azara laughed. Fin looked like a sickly old woman with the baggy dress and old cloak. In response, Fin let out a whistling call.
They continued up to the road and started to try to figure out how they were going to get through the gate if they were stopped.
Fortunately, they were stopped before they had the chance.
A carriage halted along the road directly in front of them. The driver sighed, and didn’t even cast them a glance. The carriage door opened suddenly and very strict looking woman peered out. She was dressed very nicely, in expensive fabrics that looked a lot like some of the things they had stolen from the Izarough merchants. She had on quite a bit of jewelry as well. She stared down at the children from her doorway and seemed to be appraising them.
“What are you doing down there? You don’t look like you belong here.”
Azara was the first to answer. “We don’t. I mean to say, we were on a ship. Bound for the south ports, from Izarough. But it was attacked. Attacked by pirates from the Escape Islands and we were just barely lucky to get off of the ship before it burned and we made it to the shore. We were looking for somewhere to stay. Our mother was on the ship see, and she didn’t make it off. My brother here and I were trying to help our mother take our poor sick sister to see the healers of the south. She’s very ill…” Azara said very quickly.
“She does look very pale. And those eyes! There’s almost no pigment… what is it she has?”
“We’re not sure, ma’am. All of the healers in Izarough could not help her and now we were forced to take her south in hopes they could save her. But now we are lost, with no money and no way back,” Azara finished, putting on her best pathetic look.
“Of course you don’t. Poor little wretches. Climb in then,” she said moving back into the carriage to give them room.
The three flashed each other hidden grins and climbed in. Fin being careful not to show much of his features. They all sat quietly across from the woman and watched her as she tapped the roof of the compartment. The carriage lurched into motion and they were taken into the town.
The woman did not speak to them the rest of the way. Wherever they were headed, it felt like the farthest end of the town. They could also tell that they were climbing altitude. When the carriage finally came to a halt, they reasoned that they were most of the way up one of the outlying hills they spied from the beach.
The driver climbed down and opened the door to the carriage and the woman shoed them out. The three climbed out quickly and lined up outside looking down over the town. They were up on a hill looking down on the entire town, which was filled with many stone structures. It looked similar to the large port they had seen farther to the south. The woman had climbed out of the carriage now, and they could see she was incredibly tall and carried herself perfectly straight. Her dress was beautiful and fell to touch the ground. She glared at them for a moment, catching their eyes and then started walking swiftly to a large door in the house they had stopped in front of. The children had been so awed by the town they looked down on, that they had completely missed the incredible house behind them.
It must have had three levels to it with beautiful spiraling turrets along the roof. The door opened even before she started climbing the stairs to the door. Two women came out, one was an elderly lady and the other quite young. The children followed to the door more slowly and watched as the woman from the carriage discussed something with the elderly woman and nodded toward them. The younger woman escorted her in and the elder woman turned to the children with her hands on her hips.
“Come on then, hurry up!” she yelled at them.
The children started walking more quickly and reached the base of the stairs to the door.
“I’m Mrs. Arden, the head of house staff. Lady Francine has decided to take you in, and I’m to see to you cleaned up for dinner,” she said to them directly, then once she turned and started walking in they heard her mutter under her breath, “Always taking in charity cases. Another bloody handful of children to watch. Just got rid of the last lot and she brings in another carriage full, and one sick on top of it.”
They followed her through the doors into the vast entryway of the house. In front of them were a double set of stairs leading up to the second level and on their sides were large open archways leading off ot other parts of the house. Mrs. Arden took them through the archway on the right and through a sitting room full of plush looking furniture though a smaller door that took them into a little hallway. It must have been a servants’ hallway because it was fairly unadorned and rather narrow. There were several shut doors leading off to other parts of the house and finally they ended up inside a kitchen.
It was the largest kitchen any of them had seen and full of staff making preparations. There had to be at least four wood burning stoves and two huge hearths with cooking pots hanging over them. There were counter tops covered with food. Fruits and vegetables, breads of all sorts. They children looking on these longingly. All they had eaten that day had been fish Fin had caught for them, and before that food had been somewhat sparse on the Spite and Malice.
Mrs. Arden tapped a few of the kitchen girls and nodded toward the children. One of the girls came to Azara and Fin looked them over a bit.
“You girls come with me then,” she said leading them off to another door.
The other girl who wasn’t much bigger than Rory came over and sized him up. “Come on then, boy.” And took him through another hallway.
The room Azara and Fin found themselves in was a small cold barren room with one little fireplace. The girl lit a fire using stones that rested on the hearth and set a large kettle to heat.
“There’s a tub in that cupboard there for washing. I’ll bring you some cool water as well. And some clothes.”
“Can you bring something for my sister’s head, a wrap of some sort? She’s very self conscious, the sickness, it thins her hair.”
“Of course,” the girl said, looking sympathetic to Fin.
She left them and returned shortly with two large buckets of cool well water. Azara had pulled out the tub and placed it close to the fire. She helped the girl to pour one of the buckets into the tub.
“Right, I’ll get you some linens to dry off with and some clothing to change into.” She left again.
Azara took the boiling water from the fire and added it to the cold water in the tub. She tested it with her hand and found that it was a decent temperature. She returned the kettle to the hearth, keeping what water was left inside warm. She turned to look at Fin who was curled up on the one chair in the room. He waved to her to go first and turned away.
Azara, slightly uncomfortable, undressed and climbed into the warm bath. It felt wonderful. She hadn’t had a fresh water bath in ages. She dunked herself and then took one of the soaps left for them and washed herself tried to clean her hair as best she could. The red dreadlocks were clumped with dirt and salt and looked almost dark burgundy. She soaped them up and plunged under the water again. When she came back above the water she found the girl had returned with a stack of cloth. She held out a clean piece of linen for Azara to dry off with and set the rest on the floor nearby.
“There’s some skirts there that should fit the both of you. If you need help getting ready just call. Dump the dirty water back in the buckets here, a boy will be by to take it outside,” she said as she walked out the door.
“Thank you!” Azara called after.
Azara wrapped the linen tight around her and took care of her bath water. She poured the clean water into the tub and went to look at the clothes left to them. She held up a skirt that was very long and came up to her chest. She figured it must be the one for Fin and she set it aside. She pulled up another and found it was much smaller and probably meant for her. Fin was still sitting and inspecting the floor and his own feet. She dropped the linen and started putting the clothing on. There was an under slip of a soft white material that covered her chest and draped down to her knees. Azara struggled into it. She had almost never worn dresses in her life and felt very uncomfortable trying to figure everything out.
She started fussing with the skirt and trying to lace it up. She must have been making some frustrated noised because she heard Fin chirp quietly, as if asking a question.
“I just can’t get this on right. I don’t understand how it works…”
She looked up and Fin was walking toward her, his cloak left on the chair. He looked so strange wearing the oversized dress. He had a soft look to his face, and a grin that looked like he might be laughing at Azara.
She dropped the laces to the skirt and sighed. Fin made a motion as though he were going to touch the skirt and looked down to Azara with a questioning look.
“Yes go ahead if you can figure it out,” she told him with a nod.
Fin twisted the dress so the laces were in the back and began tightening them. He tied it tightly and wrapped the cords around to her front and spun her around so she was facing him. The scales on the top of his head and around some of his features were glimmering in the firelight. She jumped, startled when the little fin on the back of his head flapped open and shut quickly. Fin grinned, seeing her surprise and did it once more for entertainment purposes.
Azara rolled her eyes and looked down to see he was tying the cords loosely at her hips so they hung down. He bent to sort through the clothing on the floor and found a matching top to the pal grey skirt. Azara inspected it more closely as Fin looked at the top. The skirt had an embroidered pattern of little dark grey flowers all along the hem and a strip down the sides. It was very lovely, but Azara hated it. She wanted nothing more than to find her grubby leathers and put them back on. But she knew that right now they couldn’t afford to offend their hostess.
Fin turned her around once more and slid her arms into the thick blouse. It felt more like a coat than it did a shirt, but Azara reasoned that was the fashion for winter weather. The front of the top had laces that looked similar to the ones on the back of the skirt and Fin set to putting the cording though and tightening it. It tied at the bottom and left little extra cording. Fin pointed out the stockings and the shoes left for her as well.
Azara sighed and took them over to the chair. While she was negotiating them, Fin set to warming his bath water and getting undressed. Azara’s face reddened and she looked away and made every effort not to look up. She heard him climb into the water and issue a deep sigh. The boy must miss being in the water. She wondered if he lived in it all of the time or if he could breath under water too. He didn’t look like he had the gills that fish did, but then, she had only seen him for a few moments in that cage dressed as he must normally do before they wrapped him in the cloak. Her eyes wondered up from the lacings of the shoes.
Fin was resting in the water, his back to her. She could see that he had scaling all down his back along the spine. She looked down quickly. Fin began talking to her in his native tongue, not that she could understand, but it was pleasant to hear him speaking happily. She could here him washing and even sounded like he was playing in the water. After several minutes she heard him get out and his feet made strange noises against the stone floor. Azara looked at her hands and started to pick at her fingernails. Trying to clean them. A few minutes later Fin called to her and she looked up.
He was dressed almost identical to her, only the skirt and top were of a pale peach color. He wasn’t wearing the shoes yet and looked as though he were unsure about putting them on.
“I think they’ll fit, come here.”
She helped Fin to slip on the stockings over his long feet with its webbing. The shoes would be a little tight, especially on his toes that were very long, but hopefully wouldn’t be that uncomfortable. They had a slight heal to them, which might be difficult for Fin to walk in. She laced them up and helped him to stand. He practiced walking around in them around the room, looking amused. Azara meanwhile found the wrappings the girl had left for Fin’s head. It was a piece of thick cloth that looked like it would fit something like a priestess of the Spirits would wear. She called Fin over and he walked over slowly. He bent his head low so she could reach. Azara set the head piece on him and adjusted it so that it rested like she’s seen other women wear them. The she took the lighter piece of fabric and wrapped it around his neck and lower face.
She smiled at him and indicated that he looked good. Fin, held up his hands and fanned them out.
“We’re going to have to do something about those, aren’t we?”
She looked around and inspected the cabinet in the corner she had taken the tub from. Inside there were some spare cords and dressings. She took a few out and took Fin’s hands in hers. She wrapped them with the dressings up to the knuckles so that Fin couldn’t spread them very far and no one would see the webbing between. The thumb was more difficult. She wrapped it just enough so he had mobility, but no one would notice the webbing, as it was protected by the bandages. She repeated the same for the other hand and finished just as a knocking came on the door.
“You girls done yet?” a girls voice called.
She came in without asking and found them standing in the center of the room, fully dressed.
“There now, you look much better. But we’ve got to do something with that hair young miss, that color won’t do at all. So bright. Stay here a moment,” the girl said and left again.
She came back with a grey thin scarf and wrapped Azara’s hair in it so that only a few of her dreadlocks showed through and the rest looked much darker. The girl pinned it all in place and stood up to inspect them both.
“Much better. Let’s go then. Dinner is close to being served and the Lady will want you there ahead of time. Your brother is all dressed and waiting in the kitchen for you.”
She ushered them back into the kitchen where they found Rory looking bored and fussing with the collar of the coat he was wearing. He was in clothing of similar make to Azara and Fin’s, but it was a set of pants that ended just below the knees and laced down from the thigh. They’d given him tall dark boots as well. Azara knew Rory hated to wear shoes. He’d go barefoot almost the whole of winter and only put his feet into soft leather shoes when the weather became unbareable.
Azara couldn’t help but giggle.
“Shut up. And look at yourself. Never seen you in a dress. Almost look like a real girl.”
Azara smacked him on the arm. Fin patiently watched both of them, looking like a strange regal foreigner with the head garments. Rory glanced at him and grinned.
“And look at you… Fin…Finnia.”
“Finnia?” Azara asked quietly.
“Well, we can’t call her Fin, can we?”
“No, I suppose not.”
“Come on children, the dinning room is this way,” Mrs. Arden said, coming though the door to the kitchen.
The children followed her out all shooting each other playful looks. Mrs. Arden led them into a large heavily decorated room with a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There must have been a hundred candles lit inside it, all glittering off of the cut glass. There were six place settings at the table. Mrs. Arden pointed to the two on one side for Rory and Azara and let Fin to sit at one on the other side.
“Stand with the Lady enters,” was all she said as she left.
A few moments after that, Lady Francine entered the dining hall in much the same attire she had on in the carriage escorted by a young gentleman who was wearing clothing in the same fashion as Rory’s but much more expensive looking and adorned with blue jewels. The children all stood, Fin a moment after them since he had not understood Mrs. Arden’s instructions. The young man pulled out a chair at the head of the table for Lady Francine and waited for her to sit. He then walked over to the chair at the opposite end. Behind them, practically unnoticed was a young woman who took the remaining seat on Fin’s side, closest to the young gentleman.
Lady Francine took a stern look at all of the children individually, as if deciding whether the clothing suited them and they looked presentable. Apparently they met the standards because she looked up to the young man and woman.
“As you know, I am Lady Francine of the D’landers and this is my son, Louis and,” she added with a ting of sourness, “his wife, Arlene.” The young woman did not look up from the table at the children. “Now while we dine you will introduce yourselves and your circumstances. I will decide what is to be done with you.” She waved over her shoulder.
Six servants entered the dinning room all carrying plates. They set these down all together in front of all of the diners. Azara who had been considering the story she told Lady Francine earlier and had been developing it further in her head.
“Lady Francine, Mr. Louis, Lady Arlene,” Azara said nodding in turn. She looked to Rory who gave her a gesture to continue. He knew by now that she was the more creative liar of the two. “My name is Azara and this is my brother, Rory and our older sister, Finnia. We were on a ship headed for one of the southern ports. I’m not sure which, our mother knew. We made it quite far but suddenly during the night, we were attacked by Escape Island pirates. The three of us hid and then jumped off of the ship and swam for shore. They burned the ship and killed everyone on it, I’m sure of it. We found ourselves on an unfamiliar beach so we started walking south, hoping we were close to a port or town. We came across the town wall here and started for the gate and that is when you found us. We were going to the south to look for a healer for our sister. She has been ill for near her whole life. Struck down with a curse as baby. She cannot speak and her skin is sallow, she is plagued by constant thirst. I fear she will always be as such,” Azara finished.
The table were all regarding her with vague interest. Fin, who couldn’t understand her, but knew she was speaking about him looked around and made to try to eat, but was having a difficult time with the scarf blocking his lower face. Rory looked a little impressed and was eating quickly. Lady Francine seemed like she was completely ignoring Azara and eating pristinely. Louis was looking from Azara to Fin as he ate and Arlene glanced up politely on occasion.
“Well,” Lady Francine started between spoonfuls. “You are all hopeless cases. Orphans with no direction. I am quite renown for my dealings with refugees. Under my instruction you will no doubt become productive adults. Your sickly sister however may be difficult, but I like a challenge. Rory and Azara, you will begin attending classes in town with Tutor Ramone, a trusted friend of mine. There will be other children your age. Finnia,” she turned her attention to Fin who set down his spoon and looked at Azara and Rory before turning to Lady Francine. “Finnia you will stay and be instructed in household care. My son has a baby boy and I will have you learn to watch him. A silent nurse will be excellent. I will send you to see the healer in town to see if there is anything to be done. You seem to function well enough and your siblings have informed me that it is not contagious. I will give you each a year in my home and then we will find suitable apprenticeships for you. I believe that is settled,” Lady Francine finished and set down her silverware and napkin. She snapped for the servants to take the plates away.
Louis laughed, “I have to hand it to you mother, you certainly do have it down to a science don’t you?” He looked at Azara and said, “You’re not the first hopeless cases she’s taken in. Your predecessors are all happy productive members of the town of Twicingo. All of whom are happy to give my mother anything that she wants or needs. The woman had agents almost everywhere now.”
“Hush, Louis. Has it not been benefical?”
“Yes mother, quite. Genius.” Then he added in the children’s direction again, “Enjoy your instruction children.”
Louis tossed down his napkin as well and rose from the table. He walked over and helped Lady Francine up and escorted her out of the hall. Arlene tagging just behind them.
Lady Francine called back over her shoulder, “Mrs. Arden will see to you.”
With that, they were alone.
“Well. That was interesting. At least we got to eat. I’m not all that sure about having to go to lessons. And I’m not sure Fin should be rearing human babies. Fin she wants you to watch a baby, can you do that?” Azara asked, gesturing as best she could. She cradled her arms as though she were holding a small child and rocked it back and forth.
Fin looked at her oddly and just finished his dinner quickly, pulling the scarf from his face.
Soon a few servants came in and gathered up the dishes. Mrs. Arden returned and with an impatient looked beckoned them to follow. She led them up the large set of stairs in the main entry way and down a fancy hallway. She stopped in front of one door and pushed Rory inside.
“This will be your room young man. There are sleeping gowns set out. Good night.”
She took Azara and Fin down the hall to another door and pushed them both inside. “That’s for you two. Get some rest. The Lady has a busy schedule for you this week. Good night.”
“Good night Mrs. Arden, thank you for your help tonight,” Azara said sweetly.
Mrs. Arden just nodded and took off back down the hallway.
Inside the room a fire was already lit, as well as a few candles around the walls. There were two small beds with thick covers and fresh linen. There was a large picture window on the wall looking out over the town. Azara was happy that she could see the night sky again. It would be nice to sleep somewhere where she could lay down and look out at the stars. On each of the beds were white night gowns that were frilly with lace. Azara scoffed at them. They were certainly something that her older sisters would like. Azara froze. She hadn’t managed to think about her family since they’d seen what happened to the Escape Islands. It hit her hard that she suddenly realized that her sisters were probably no longer alive.
She started crying softly into the white gown, unable to control herself. Fin, who was inspecting the washbowl and the pitcher full of water walked over quickly and laid an around her shoulder.
“I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I was just thinking about my family. My sisters. And I just left them. I yelled at my brother and I was so angry. I didn’t even really say good bye to them,” she said through sobs.
Fin, who probably didn’t quite understand the source of her sorrow pet her hair with is long fingers and cooed in his odd voice. It was strangely soothing to hear him speak. It was almost like he were singing to her in his native language. The chirps and whistles had a soft rhythm to them and almost a singsong quality. Azara found she had stopped crying and was breathing steadily.
“Thank you Fin. I think I’m going to change now. She held up the gown and walked over to the screen in the corner. She unlaced the top and the skirts and hung them over the top of the screen. She slid off the slip and did the same with it. The sleeping gown was soft and warm against her skin and she felt much more comfortable in it that the other clothes. When she walked out of the screen she found Fin had also changed. Again, she had to laugh. The sea creature looked so odd in a little girl’s nightgown.
He flared his rear fin at her and climbed into one of the beds.
“You might want to keep your head wrapped some. What if they come in in the morning?” Azara asked, tossing him the head scarves.
Bitterly, Fin rewrapped them and laid down. Azara snuffed out the candled and climbed into her bed as well. She fell asleep to the soft sound of Fin singing.
***
Down the hallway Rory was in a similar bed staring at the fire and thinking about better times when he slept in a tight space on a pallet above a little apartment above a shop that he loved.
***
The next day was a complete whirlwind of activity. They woke up early and dressed again in the clothing provided by the household. Azara had needed Fin’s help once again to lace up the skirts and she returned the favor and helped him into the shoes. They all attended a quick breakfast down in the kitchens with the servants. Rory and Azara were taken outside and put into a carriage. They were given instructions to speak with the tutor and attend his lessons in town. Fin was taken off by Mrs. Arden to some unknown doom.
In the carriage Rory and Azara discussed the rooms and their night in the huge house. Rory looked quite tired, as though he hadn’t slept well.
“Wind kept rattling the windows. Kept me up.”
“Oh, I hadn’t noticed. What do you think these lessons will be like?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been to lessons before. I heard that there is--was a woman in Sevstown that would teach to a bunch of children, not just her own. Maybe it’s like that. It’ll be like how we learned our letters with our families, only it will be several families all together. Maybe.”
“Maybe,” she said distracted, looking out the carriage window.
They were headed into the thick of the town and stopped in front of an old tall building. It had a stone wall with an iron gate. They climbed out of the carriage and turned to look at the driver. But he was already pulling away before they could ask him if this were the right place. Rory pushed open the gate and started walking up the little path to the door. It was a narrow building made of fieldstones. Above the door, carved into the stone was written, “Ramone Academy.”
“What’s an Academy?” Azara asked.
“Don’t know,” Rory replied.
They knocked on the door and stood outside waiting. No one came. They knocked again and just as they were starting to get upset about it, several children came running though the gate. One girl pushed past Rory and Azara and walked right into the building. There was a tall dark haired boy who turned back and looked them both over before he stepped inside as well.
Rory shrugged and Azara walked in after them.
Inside there was a long hallway with a single window at the far end. There were several doorways along the side and a set of stairs at the rear. The other children had disappeared into the rooms. Rory and Azara walked in farther and glanced at the first door. On a wooden sign was written, “Tutor Ramone, Principle.”
“That’s who she said to talk to isn’t it?” Azara asked, but she as already knocking on the door.
“Come in!” a loud man’s voice carried through the door.
Azara opened it and walked inside with Rory right behind her.
“Excuse me, Tutor Ramone? I am Azara and this is Rory. We were sent here by Lady Francine for instruction.”
“Of course you were. I was wondering how long it would be before she sent another batch of orphans. What are you? Twelve, thirteen summers?”
“I’m twelve, sir, and Rory is thirteen.”
“That’s what I thought. You’ll both be in classroom three, upstairs. Your instructor will be Tutor Racine. Do behave. I do not know where you come from, but we expect our students to behave like young ladies and gentlemen. Go now,” he said curtly not once looking up from his desk of papers.
The children backed out of the room and closed the door. They shrugged to one another and headed for the stairs at the rear of the school. They climbed them quickly and found themselves in another hallway, mirroring the one below. They looked at all the doors until they found the one marked with the number three. Rory was the one to enter first.
Inside there were several children already seated. There were a few open tables in the rear. A woman was standing at the front with a practiced smile on her face.
“New students? From Lady Francine no doubt?”
“Yes ma’am,” Rory said.
“Take a seat please,” she said.
Rory and Azara walked to the back of the room and sat in a desk together while all of the children stared at them. They were dressed in well made clothing, much like the things Azara and Rory were in. All of the girls had scarves over there heads tying back their hair. The instructor looked like she got her things out of the same closest Arlene did. On the board behind her were several things written.
“This is going to be awful,” Azara said frowning.
“Yep,” Rory agreed.
Both resigned themselves to the fate of the classroom.
***
This was how it went for several months. Rory and Azara were sent off to the Academy where they sat though lectures and lessons from Tutor Racine. They were forced to read old scrolls and writings from the region. Azara nearly blew their cover when they were reading though a history of Izarough and was clearly propaganda for their power struggle. There were several mentions of the traitors who left for the Escape Islands. The thing that was the most interesting was that, although it didn’t come right now and say that worship of the Spirits was prohibited, it did encourage people to spend their efforts in worship of the one true spirit, the spirit of the flames and fire. Apparently, fire had become the symbol of the Izarough empire as they burned their way through countries and regions, making them part of the empire.
Azara was disgusted. Rory was horrified.
But them managed to make it though their lessons each day. Each day they returned back to the large mansion of Lady Francine and dine with her and her son and daughter-in-law. And every night they’d return to the little rooms provided for them. Meanwhile, Fin had been spending his days in the company of the servants, who had learned to use some signs and gestures with him when they wanted Fin to do something. Fin watched and listened intently to conversations around him, and unbeknown to any one, he was slowly beginning to understand the language around him.
They hardly ever saw Lady Francine besides the dinners where they updated her on their progress in classes. She would make suggestions for jobs she thought they should persue in their lives and gave them tasks around the mansion she felt would help to steer them in that direction.
Arlene was like a mouse, she never spoke and was barely noticeable anywhere she went. Louis was quite boisterous and consumed quite a bit of wine in the evenings.
“I can’t take much more of this,” Azara told Rory and Fin one evening as they played games in front of the fire Rory’s room.
“I know, neither can I,” Rory said with a yawn.
Fin chirped slighting.
“What do you say, tomorrow instead of attending class we run around town? Fin you can sneak out and meet us.” She tried to make him understand by set up three of the stones and pointing at each of them and down to a stone. She had the ones represent Rory and herself move and then had the other catch up. “Fin? Do you get it?”
Fin nodded and smiled with his nubby fish teeth glinting in the fire light.
“Alright, we’ll break away from school and walk back toward the gate for this house at the bottom of the hill and wait for Fin to come down. Oh, now I’m all too excited to sleep. Finally! Adventure!” Azara said with a smile.
The next day the children got up as usual and Rory, Azara and Fin headed down to the kitchens for breakfast. They ate a helping of eggs and some sweet bread. Rory and Azara headed out to the carriage waiting outside for them and Fin stayed in the kitchen. Once Rory and Azara were gone Fin busied himself in the kitchen, picking up the breakfast dishes and washing them. All of the staff left Fin alone now for the most part. They had shown him all of the things he could help with and what needed to be down around the household. They simply left him to do what he saw, it was far easier than trying to communicate to him specific things.
Fin wandered around the first floor of the house and picked up things here and there and headed upstairs to the nursery. Lady Arlene was alone in the room rocking the infant. She looked up and smiled.
“Good morning, Finnia.”
Fin bowed and gave her a warm look. The baby was resting quietly, wrapped in several blue wool blankets.
“I think today Finnia, I won’t require your help. I would really just like to spend some time with him alone. I don’t mean to offend. You’ve been such a wonderful help these past few months and such a good friend to me. Please feel free to take the day to yourself as well. I know there must be things you wish to do. The gardens are actually very lovely in the winter time. I know you are ill, perhaps just a walk around the house will do you good. Lady Francine has been slow to get you that healer hasn’t she? Perhaps she doesn’t think you need it. Just hard work and learning. She seems to think that cures everything.” Alrene sighed and looked down to her baby.
Fin walked behind her and rested his long fingers around her shoulders. Instead of singing, as he had done for Azara on a few occasions, he hummed for Arlene and the baby. It seemed the easiest to do without explaining his lack of language. Arlene closed her eyes and smiled.
“Thank you Finnia. You may go now.”
Fin bowed once again and walked through the nursery door, shutting it softly behind him. He stopped at his and Azara’s room and found a heavy cloak to wear that matched one he had seen Azara wear outside. He put it on and pulled up the hood. He made sure the hallway was clear before he scurried off down the stairs and out through a servants’ door in the back of the house. He walked around quickly to the front and started heading down the road. He guessed that wherever Rory and Azara were, they would find him. So he headed to town.
At the base of the road, just on the other side of the stone arch that marked the gate to the house of Lady Francine, she saw the both of them waiting, arms tucked into the cloaks tightly and Azara dancing around impatiently. Fin smiled to see them and they waved to him as soon as they caught sight of him coming out of the wooded road.
“Oh good! I was worried you wouldn’t be able to get away from the house. I don’t know what they have you doing all day but I could just see Mrs. Arden making you follow her around and order the rest of the staff about. Well? Where should we go?”
“Let go down to the water and see if there are any ships in. I mean, we said we wanted to go back to Escape and see… and see what’s left there. It’s been months now, maybe those that survived, they’ve started rebuilding.”
“You could be right Rory, yes, let’s go down to the docks and see.”
The three started walking through the town. Although it was still quite chilly there were many townsfolk out and about. Shops were open with customers going in and out. The children huddled together against the wind. The docks weren’t actually that far away. The town had seemed so large to them when they had first gotten there, but once they had the chance to explore a bit during their lunch periods at school they found it really wasn’t very huge. They walked down a few streets and turned down some alleys as a short cut. They found themselves in front of the docks and started walking down the planks. Rory thought that they should ask the crews of the ships where they were headed and if there was a chance they could be taken to the Escape Islands they should ask to talk to the captain. Azara suggested that if they found passage that they go back to Lady Francine’s and take a few of the smaller objects out of the room as payment for the ship. After all, Fin had been performing duties in the household without wages.
As they got half way down the dock Rory stopped short.
“Azara. Does that ship look familiar to you?”
Azara froze. Before them was an Izarough warship. And it looked terribly similar to the one the Spite and Malice had attacked when everything had gone wrong. There were even burn marks along the sides, as though it had been next to a burning ship.
Rory turned to look at her with an angry expression.
But before they could talk about it, a group of men appeared down the dock. They were Izarough soldiers by the look of it.
One of them yelled loudly to the others, “Well, look what we’ve got here. Those red locks look familiar to anyone else? Heh heh heh.”
“GET THOSE CHILDREN!” another yelled, pointing at them.
All three gasped and Rory noticed that Fin recognized them as well.
They started running. The hood of Fin’s cloak fell back with the quick moment and the scarves on his head flew off in the wind. Suddenly, he was very revealed.
“And they’ve got that thing with them! That one that we was lookin’ for in Hasum Port. The boss is going to be very happy with us for sure,” one of the men said behind them.
They were running through the town streets slipping down as many different streets as they could. Rory led them toward one of the town’s gates. They blew past the town guards and off of the road. They were running off toward the ocean. They found themselves at the top of a large steep hill. Rory glanced back at them and took off down the hill.
They were running at full speed down the rocky hillside. Below them Azara could see there was a heavily wooded area, and no doubt a place to hide.
“Come on, if we can get there first, we might have a chance,” Azara said, pointing down to the woods.
The men from the ship were getting closer, Rory doubted that even if they got to the woods they’d be able to escape. That’s when Fin skidded to a halt on the hillside.
“What are you doing? Fin come on!”
Rory grabbled his arm and tried to pull him down the rocky path, but Fin refused. Instead he pushed Rory away and gestured for them to keep going.
From somewhere unseen Fin pulled out a large curved knife and brandished it with expertise. He took a fighting stance with the blade out before him. His rear fin flared aggressively, giving him a very intimidating look.
“Fin you can’t! They’ll kill you!” Azara screamed at him.
Again he shoed them away, gesturing that they should run. He looked very determined.
“Meet us back at Lady Francine’s, Fin. Promise?” Rory said seriously to Fin.
Fin nodded and gave them a pleading look to go. Rory and Azara took off down the hill again toward the woods. Behind them they heard Fin engage their pursurers. Azara turned back once when she heard Fin issue a battle cry like they’d never heard before.
The men were standing at bay—out of Fin’s reach looking unsure. Fin waved the knife in an arch around him, blocking the path from passage. Azara almost started to run back but Rory grabbed her around the waist and dragged her to the woods.
“We’ve got to find somewhere to hide. Fin will be all right, did you see him? He can handle himself.”
They took off running through the wooded area in no particular direction. Rory was running in front and for a moment it was almost like they were racing through Escape again. Azara’s heart panged as she watched Rory ahead of her.
He turned and started heading up the hill again. The woods kept them sheltered as they gained altitude, they could skirt the city this way and end up back at Lady Francine’s hopefully without much trouble. Through the trees, Rory glanced looking for a sign of Fin, they knew that they’d doubled back nearly a hundred yards from where they’d left Fin and might catch him from across the field. The snippets of scenery that he caught wasn’t heartening. There looked like more men had joined the crowd. Across the filed they heard Fin cry out and a man yelled over, echoing though the valley.
“We’ve got it! We got it! You four, search those woods for the other two. You two, bring this thing back to the ship. The rest of you, search the town. If those kids escape, I want ‘em by dawn.”
“Go Azara, go.” Rory said.
“But Fin!” she cried.
“Go—We’ll have to try to rescue him later from the ship. We need to get to Lady Francine’s. Get some decent clothes for you and get our things. Then we’ll come back while they’re still looking in the town for us.”
Azara sighed, “You’re right, I know. All right, let’s go.”
“you think of a way to get Fin off a ship unnoticed. You figured out how to get him on the Spite and Malice, I’m sure you’ve got spare ideas floating around.”
They skirted the town as best they could. At some point they’d have to get back within the town walls and no doubt someone would be there waiting for them if they went through the gate.
“We’ll probably have to climb over the wall, nearer to Francine’s.”
“There aren’t a whole lot of guards, we’ll have to have a chance somewhere just keep your eyes out.”
They ran in the woods glancing to the town wall along side of them. They ran for what felt like a mile before they got to an area that looked familiar. It was a top of a hillside that they were sure if they started running down it, it would take them to the slope Lady Francine’s home. The wall looked unguarded for the moment. The made a run for it. Rory held out his hand to boost Azara up the wall. She got onto the top of the wall with a grunt. She leaned over and grabbed onto Rory’s hands. She hauled him up the wall with a lot of effort. It took a few minutes but she got him up. The looked over the other side of wall and found it was covered with rocks.
“Let’s go!” Rory said and jumped over the side.
Azara followed and landed roughly. She got to her feet and took off after Rory who had already running down the hill. They found themselves in the back gardens of Lady Francine’s home and tore around to the front.
They ran through the main doors and headed for the stairs. Just as Mrs. Arden came walking stiffly from one of the side rooms. But they were out of earshot before she started yelling at them. They couldn’t hear what she was saying. They bolting into the hallway their rooms were in and headed for Rory’s.
“Look, I still have the clothes I had from the ship, they put them in one of my drawers. Do you have yours?” Rory asked her.
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen them. Maybe they put them into my satchel. I know where that is. I’ll run and check!” Azara called, running out of Rory’s room and into her own.
Azara grabbed her satchel from the drawer in her and Fin’s room and ran back to Rory’s.
“Do you have any pants in there?” he asked her as she came in.
“No, they’re gone. Just a shirt and coat I managed to grab before we got of the ship. The clothes I was wearing when we got here are gone. Mrs. Arden must have thrown them out!”
“Yeah, because they were boy’s things. You’re supposed to be all proper and what not. Here, ok. Put these on.”
Rory gave her a set of black pants that looked like ones he was wearing. They were the style that cut off at the knees and had laces to draw them tight into the boots. She held them for a moment looking around the room for somewhere to change.
“Spirits Azara! This is no time for modesty! We’ve got to get out of here!” Rory said to her, pulling off his shirt. “I won’t look, honestly!”
Azara scoffed at herself and tried to pretend she wasn’t blushing. She unlaced the top and ripped off the skirt. She pulled on the pants over the stockings she had on and put her boots back on over them. She tucked the loose strings of the pants into the boots and tied the boots tight. They were better than nothing, even with the small heal to them. She pulled on the tunic shirt that belonged to her and the leather coat that had been Harrow’s on over it. She pulled the scarf out of her hair and let the red dreadlocks shake loose. She pulled the satchel over her shoulder.
Rory had changed into clothes that were his own, wide legged wool pants, a linen loose shirt and a similar leather coat. He put a belt on over it and jammed his knife into it.
“Put the boots back on,” Azara said.
“What?” Rory asked, looking both angry and confused. He had just gotten them off and his feet could finally breath.
“The boots, put them on,” Azara said firmly.
“I don’t want to,” he said shortly.
“Damn it Rory, I don’t want to be slowed down because your damn feet have turned blue. It’s still winter out there, now put them on!” she yelled in a no nonsense way.
Rory grumbled but did as she said and pulled on the stockings and boots again. They headed out of the door and ran down the hall. They practically fell down the stairs trying to get out.
Unfortunately, at the bottom of the stairs, Mrs. Arden and Lady Francine were waiting for them.
“And just where do you think that you’re going?” Lady Francine asked, nearly yelling.
“Um… thanks for everything. But we really have to go. Can’t stay. Better that we don’t.” Azara sputtered.
“Split around them and make for the door,” Rory whispered.
“Honest, Fin’s been kidnapped and we’ve got to save him…her. We’ve got to save her.”
“Finnia’s been kidnapped?” they heard Arlene’s voice come from behind them. “Oh that’s terrible. We’ve got to do something!”
While Mrs. Arden and Lady Francine were distracted by Arlene speaking they broke around them and out of their reach. They reached the door and ripped it open they were half way to the road down the hill when the others made it outside.
“Don’t just stand there Louis ! Go after them! Those children are my responsibility!”
“of course mother…” Louis said dully, making almost no effort to go after them.
Rory and Azara didn’t look back, they bolted down the road and into the town. Neither of them had any idea of how they were going to rescue Fin, nor even get to the dock safely.
***
Fin kicked as hard as he could as the men dragged him aboard the warship. They laughed at him and said some pretty nasty things. He remembered them from many moons ago. They had tried to capture him at sea once and he had escaped then. But there were other men, in the human town he had swam to. They had been just and unpleasant, but he knew they did not know who he was. Not like those fire men. The men in the human town had beaten him and taken his things. They had locked him in a cage and left him to rot. That was weeks before the red haired one and the blue eyes had saved him.
But now he was back to where he had been before. Trying to escape from the fire men. He snarled at them and hissed. But this only made them laugh. They dumped him inside of an empty room that was dark. He was still in the terrible netting that they had captured him with. It was spun of some fiber he did not know and could not tear. Fin screamed.
Moments later, a huge man came in. he was as wide as the door and wearing thick silver hides and carrying a flaming torch. The fire men always carried them. The man looked down at him with no expression. He kicked Fin hard in the stomach, causing Fin to issue another cry.
The man forced his head to look up at him. “See these fish man?” the fire man held up two shiny necklaces. Fin’s heart raced he looked at them carefully but neither he recognized. One carried the symbol of the stars, the other of wind. “Where is yours, fish man? Where are you hiding it?” He kicked Fin again, this time harder. “you’ll tell us one way or another. Might as well make it easier on yourself. I’m much more forgiving that the boss is. He’ll tear you apart. And he has many ways of making you tell the truth against your will. They say he as terrible magic that non of us know. I’d cooperate with me if I were you,” he told Fin.
Fin just yelled in his native tongue. He told the man that he was a foul horrible thing that angered all spirits, even those that he thought he served. He yelled that the world would fall if it were not put in its place and nothing could be saved, not even the fire men. Of course, the human did not understand.
“You think about it fish man, I’ll be back in a little while and I expect you to tell me where yours is,” he said before stepping on one of Fin’s hands and leaving.
Fin fought back tears and looked around trying to figure a way out. He closed his eyes tightly and thought about his water. His home. He thought hard.
***
Outside Rory and Azara had managed to reach the docks without running across the men from the ship, or Louis and any of Lady Francine’s servants. They had been almost all over town, hiding behind buildings, running though taverns and empty markets. They heard yelling near by, they had heard them searching, but just missed them each time. They were close though. Azara still hadn’t come up with a plan to get Fin but they kept running to the dock anyhow.
Suddenly from behind them came shouts on the right.
“There they are! Those damn kids from that pirate ship! They’re the ones the captain wants to see. Get ‘em!”
Then from the left, “Azara! Rory! Come back here this instant! You are upsetting my mother and Arlene is just beside herself that something terrible has happened to your sister!” Louis yelled, an army of Lady Francine’s servants behind him.
“What the hell do you want with those children? They’re bloody pirates and wanted for the attack on a warship of the empire,” one of the men told Louis.
“Pirates? But that’s just silly, they’re from Izarough. They were attacked by pirates and my family has taken them in since their mother was killed.”
The men laughed. “From Izarough? Don’t be ridiculous. They’re Escape Islanders and I remember that little one with the red hair. They jumped off the ship before we could kill ‘em. Got the rest of those damn pirate though and burned the ship til it sank. But now those kids are going to share the same fate as their crew,” he said sinisterly.
Louis looked dumbfounded. He and the servants stopped running toward them. The men closed in.
“Rory… do you see that small sail boat over to our right, just a head?” there was a small boat with one mast half way between them and the soldiers.
“Yeah…”
“Race?” she said with a grin, “NOW!” Azara bolted with Rory right behind her.
The men were a little confused that the children were running right for them and they slowed their pace. However, Rory and Azara were running at full tilt and Rory had pulled out his knife. They took a flying leapt off of the dock into the little sailboat. Rory cut the rope holding it to the dock and miraculously, the sail filled with wind and they were taken away from the dock.
The men were yelling and so was Louis.
Azara steered the sail boat out and around, looking for a way to get near the warship to try to get Fin.
“What are we going to do?!” she yelled to Rory.
“I don’t know Azara, I don’t know…”
Just then the water swelled. The waves suddenly doubled in size.
“I don’t understand, there’s no storm!” Azara shouted.
Ahead of them the warship rocked and crashed against the dock. The was going back and forth so roughly that men who had been on the rails were falling off. The children could hear them yelling. Before their eyes the ship completely capsized.
Azara screamed and Rory stood with his mouth open.
The men on the dock stopped worrying about trying to capture the escaping children and ran to help their crewmen.
“Fin was on there!” Azara said.
Then Rory smiled.
“What? Why are you grinning? He could be killed!”
“Azara. Fin can swim like no man in the world. And I’m guessing he’ll be able to hold his breath a lot longer than any of those Izarough soldiers. We wait. He’ll find us.”
And sure enough a few moments later, just a head of them in the water a head bobbed out. It was Fin, he was till wrapped in netting, but he had been able to swim with it around him anyhow. Azara and Rory sailed the boat up next to him and pulled him aboard. Fin issued a small sound of joy at seeing them as Rory cut the netting.
“Oh Fin! We were so worried!” Azara said, hugging the sea creature.
Rory took control of the little ship and set them on a course out of the bay. They sailed all night, but found themselves a small uninhabited island far away from the little port. They pulled the ship up onto the sand and sat down to rest.
They stayed like that for several minutes, just laying in the sand trying to recover from the days events. Azara stared up at the stars and felt as though everything would be ok. She heard Fin get up beside her and start walking around on the island. She heard him and Rory start gathering wood for a fire. She dug around in her satchel for the set of fire stones that were in here and handed them off to Rory. Fin set some dry leaves in the center of the wood and let Rory tend to lighting them.
Fin found a long stick and took Rory’s knife. He sharpened the end of it and handed the knife back. Fin walked off into the water, by now he had shed the clothing of a young woman and revealed that he had his original garments still on under them. The little linen wraps around his chest and the loincloth. He dived into the water and disappeared. A half hour later he returned with six fresh fish speared on the stick. He smiled at them, it was the first time they’d seen his little strange teeth for a long time. It made both Rory and Azara smile.
“Those look great Fin. I hadn’t realized that we hadn’t eaten anything all day.”
They cooked the fish and found themselves content. They’d managed to escape the Izarough soldiers, and their warship was ruined. They had escaped from Lady Francine and her well-meaning yet terrible parenting. They had a ship of their own and they could live off of fish until they made it back to the Escape Islands. All seemed well.
Fin built up the fire, adding nearby fallen brush and timber. Rory flopped down next to it and got lost in his thoughts. Azara, leaned back onto her little satchel that had made it so far with her since she left her family home months ago. Her head hit something hard and she sat up to open it. She hadn’t even glanced inside since they had gotten off of the Spite and Malice. She pulled out the object her head had hit against and found the little wooden box she’d taken from Captain Adder Swiftstream’s desk before they leapt off of the ship. She signed and remembered the promise she’d made him as she knew he lay dying on the deck of his ship. Azara opened the little box and pulled out the beautiful necklace inside. It had a lovely aqua stone that was perfectly round cased in silver. The stone was carved with a little symbol that looked like a rune for water or waves of some sort. She ran her fingers over it, thinking it familiar somehow.
Across the fire, Fin’s eyes went wider than they’d seen them before. He practically ran through the fire to get to Azara. He ripped the necklace from her hands. He stood back away from both of them with a look mixed of anger and relief. He pushed a side the linen garments across his chest to reveal a dark birthmark or scar, blue against the rest of his skin, that was identical to the symbol on the necklace.
“Mine,” he said, “this is mine, Zara.”
Both Rory and Azara were so shocked they could do nothing or say anything. Fin had not once spoken in a language that they could understand and here he was, practically yelling.
Then his face took on a queer look as if he realized something. He walked to Rory and slid his webbed fingers along Rory’s tunic and pulled down the collar. He let a finger tip glide along the white scar upon Rory’s upper chest. The thin little curved line.
He spoke again in his native tongue, clicks and chirps and then he looked into Rory’s eyes and said softly, “Wind.”
He turned to Azara, whose mouth was hanging open in surprise. She pulled the collar of her own shirt down, to reveal the pinkish birthmark she hid with the starfish necklace.
“Star,” Fin said, now looking resigned.
He seemed deep in thought, as though this changed everything between them. He returned to the place he had been sitting near the fire and stared deeply into the flames.
“We go back to the men with fire. They have these that belong to you,” Fin said darkly, holding his necklace out.
“Are you mad? Go back? They are trying to kill us…They’re trying to kill us because of these aren’t they?” Azara said, her hand going to the birthmark.
“They hold that is your fate,” Fin tried to explain.
“They have necklaces… that belong to us? But where did they come from? Fin, where did you get yours?” Rory asked.
“Passed down. My home. My family,” he added something in his own language and tried to gesture a building, finally said, “Temple.”
Rory was quite for a moment, and Azara wasn’t sure what he was thinking about.
“Azara,” he said, looking at her with a sad look, “That is why they burned Escape. Not for retribution for the acts of the Escape Pirates. Not for conquest of the Izarough Empire, but to get those relics of the spirits. And us. They wanted us.”
Fin nodded.
Azara grabbed a handful of sand and threw it into the fire.
“How do the Spirits allow it? Why weren’t those men dead at our shores? They should have been stuck down before they had the chance to even land on Escape. Why? Why do they not act?!” Azara screamed.
Fin stood and fingered the necklace around his neck. Behind him the water sounded as though it were becoming wild.
“Because we are the hands of the Spirits. It is us and those like us who must return balance to the world. Can you not feel it? The world is offset and it must be righted. Stand Rory, Spirit of Wind and stand Zara, Spirit of Stars. We are the first to awaken to our birthright. We must find the others. And we must return to you what is yours.”
Behind him a wall of water soared into the air as he raised his arms. The power of the Spirit of Water resided in Fin.
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