Chapter two
“We eat much better than this at home.”
Elanor kept her head bent, pretending to be intent on her own food while Mrs. Richardson once again bemoaned the meal. She worried her manner’s might not be as they should having been away from society for so long now. Mrs. Richardson’s unhappiness added to the uncomfortable feelings. Beneath the table, Elanor smoothed her left hand over the fabric of her dress, pressing it down although it didn’t have a single wrinkle.
As the cabin boy poured her more water, he clanged the glass.
“Do be careful!” Mrs. Richardson snapped. It hadn’t been much of a mistake but the woman was relentless with adding to Elanor’s misgivings of having dinner with the couple. Since she’d sat down at the table, they’d torn the poor boy apart. The young man had been working hard to please them it seemed. However, they still found fault in his service. Elanor tried to soften the treatment by thanking him each time he did anything for her. She stopped after the captain’s wife commented that at home- they didn’t usually thank the help so much.
She just wanted to finish the meal and be on her way.
“Have you ever been to sea before, Elanor?”
“When I was young, my parents would take us sometimes while Father did business along the coast. But I’ve never sailed on the open sea.”
“But since your Mother died, you and your two sisters have been living with your Grandmother in the country?”
Elanor’s fingers curled slightly on the fabric of the dress. She formed a polite smile.
“Yes, my Mother’s side of the family.”
Mrs. Richardson gave a clucking of her tongue.
“Poor thing, you must have been dreadfully bored there. Farmers aren’t they?”
“I love living with Nain- I mean my grandmother. It’s very lovely there.”
“That’s because you’ve been so sheltered dear.” Elanor forced herself not to shirk away when the older woman patted her arm. “If you knew what you were missing, you wouldn’t think so. A girl of your age should be calling on friends and men calling on you. Don’t you think Edward?” The Captain seemed to nod his head on command, as though he was used to agreeing when she spoke his name. “Your sister, Constance, isn’t it? She didn’t go with the rest of you. She wed Mr. Evans just recently, yes? Quite older than she but a smart match since he has no family or heirs left.” Mrs. Richardson patted Elanor’s hand this time. She wanted to tell the woman to stop touching her. To stop talking. To leave her be and relent on her obvious path with her words. But Elanor had been raised on the principles of being polite, respectful and so resigned to letting the woman carry on with her digging. The wildling side of her wanted to do the very opposite. She held her own tongue still less she say something but it took tremendous effort.
“Your Father must have seen the error of keeping you hidden away in the country in any case!” Even Mrs. Richardson’s smile seemed to insult. It dug under Elanor’s skin and wiggle about until she couldn’t take it any longer. And then like a snake in the grass the woman struck out at what she had been aiming for all along.
“I‘m surprised you‘re not married already! Weren’t you engaged to Derek Davis? Your banns were called weren’t they? Did he end the engagement?” The way the woman leaned towards her- the expectant expression, all signs of a purest of gossips.
Mrs. Richardson wanted fodder for her ladies tea time. No doubt everything spoken now would be carried in the woman’s head until she reached Port NewLlyn once more to spill all the secrets of the all too mysterious Tabor family.
Her engagement had never been actually been called off. Derek had refused to call it that. But Elanor wouldn’t share with this lady about any of it. “Yes he did, though, my Mother and sister did just die weeks before the date of the wedding.” She said flatly, lifting her left hand to show the mourning ring the rest beside the ring Derek had given her. Mrs. Richardson took her hand to inspect the black oval ring encircling her middle finger. Its little flower petals tiny stones with gold etching its stem and leaves.
“Yes, I remember, the carriage turned over. A brute of a man caused it? He’s also dead isn’t he?” Elanor withdrew her hand, laying it back to her lap.
Nausea turned in her stomach.
“Yes.” Elanor said softly.
The cabin boy started clearing the dishes away from the table. When no more detail were given, Mrs. Richardson annoyingly looked around him to push further. A pretense that the boy had gotten in the way. Elanor wasn’t fooled one bit. In fact, she had grown annoyed herself by the woman’s questions. She had to keep reminding herself to be polite; to endure the conversation as much as possible. She remembered that from growing up in her Father’s society. No matter the context, Elanor would be expected to keep the polite facade. She missed being in Sweetlace where she wasn’t expected to act any way except, naturally.
“Your poor Father had so much to deal with didn’t he? Your Mother dying, your youngest sister-” It felt as though the captain’s cabin had lost most of its air. Elanor’s cheeks felt flushed, her head spinning. The cruel recant so pleasantly said had her belly twisting and turning.
“They never did find Meagan did they?” Mrs. Richardson asked. Elanor shook her head in answer, unable to form words. Mrs. Richardson carried on, pointing her solid finger towards her husband. “That’s right. She was thrown from the carriage. They stopped the search and declared her dead after a few months. But they never did find her body.” The Captain and his wife stared at her, shaking their heads sadly. What they expected her to say in answer, she had no idea. But she wanted to shout at her,
“You’re wrong! I’ve seen her in my visions. She’s alive!”
Elanor couldn’t do that. Not if she wanted to keep herself safe. They would think her mad or if they believed her…
The whole dinner with the Richardsons had quickly gotten uncomfortable and just kept rolling towards a cliff of no return. The couple had to know they were being rude. And yet, the woman carried on still.
“Your oldest sister was engaged too wasn’t she?” Elanor watched the same finger that pointed to the Captain, tap the hand stitched table cloth. “Oh yes, Araminta is her name, but the man called off the wedding too just like your fiancee. Yes, your Father had so much to deal with. The oldest child losing the ability to carry children at all. Neither of his eldest daughters marrying at proper age.”
“Yes,” Elanor said almost breathlessly. “It all is rather tragic.”
Brent Smith, had broken Araminta’s heart by leaving her to grieve alone. It had been a beastly thing to do to a person that he claimed to love.
Elanor stared at the woman sitting across from her. None of this was her business. Yet she recalled it as though it to Elanor as if it were a theatre show. She no longer had the will to keep her peace. The words were about to spill from her like a wild river.
“Are you alright, Miss Tabor? You look a bit, wilted.” Captain Richardson spoke up. With the last of her resolve not to draw any attention to herself; Elanor used the question to steer the conversation away from her. Taking a deep breath in the process of standing.
“It is a bit hot in here. My Father said it would still be quite cool going to Istlind. It feels like early summer air though.” She fanned her face with the linen napkin.
The Captain and his wife exchanged glances.
“The weather is fickle. More than likely it will be dreadfully cold tomorrow. Best be grateful of the warmth today.” He said.
“Yes, of course. But would you mind if we took a walk on the deck to get some fresh air before it’s time to retire?” She asked.
The Captain gesturing to the door, “Not at all, my wife and I will accompany you of course.”
“Yes, a bit of fresh air. I will put a shawl on though, despite the warm air. I’ve seen how your crew looks at me.” Mrs. Richardson sniffed.
Elanor ducked her head in embarrassment as she moved through the door. She did not want to picture anyone lingering their eyes after Mrs. Richardson.
Desperate men. Very desperate men.
She had to bring her mind far far away from that thought. Though, it did help to take her mind off the conversation of her family and calm herself down. The woman didn’t know how insensitive she’d just been. How painful to recall all of that. Or perhaps she did and didn’t care.
Walking along the rail towards the quarter deck, she allowed the couple to get a few feet ahead of her.
The moon glowed beautifully over the glassy surface of the ocean. She drew solace and peace from it. Needing to ground her energy, to take away the terrible memories the woman had brought up. Allowing herself to just stare off, she enjoyed the soft sea breeze. The scent of salt heavy on its caress, wisps of gold brown hair tickled and cherished the sides of her temples. Her hand lifted to tuck them behind her ear. Leaning against the rail, she folded her arms to rest on it, sighing. Finding peace within slowly.
“Star gazing miss?”
Elanor jolted up to stand straight.
Not him again.
The shaggy man seemed to enjoy scaring the day lights out of her. He’d been doing since the incident on the quarter deck. His sudden appearances seemed to amuse him and yet annoy him at the same time. It baffled her to no end. Her mood didn’t have any room to tolerate it just now.
“Stop doing that.” Hands firmly on her hips. She had to stand up to him and this odd behavior.
“Doing what, Miss?”
“Stop sneaking up on me. I am not doing anything wrong, nor do I care for your interference if I were.”
“I didn’t sneak up on you, Miss. I walked up plain as day. Perhaps you should start paying attention to what’s around you. Maybe you’d see more.”
“Perhaps,” She grounded out. “ You should not be so bold to walk up to me in the first place!”
“Now, don’t get yourself in a run around Miss, I’m just saying that if you weren‘t dazing off, you wouldn’t startle so much. You’re as flighty as a bird.”
“I am not! You have no right to follow me around this ship like a, like a… just stop it!”
A dry chuckle came as his answer.
Why couldn’t he just go away? Leave her be. Hadn’t she suffered enough this evening? She glanced around him to the couple to make sure they were still on the quarter deck. It was either deal with him or them.
“Your Father picked the wrong people to look after you. They’re not exactly worried about your welfare.” He said glancing in the direction she did. The level of her gaze returned to him framed by the moonlight. His wild appearance didn’t startle her anymore. His odd behavior did.
“I can look after myself. And, they do well enough. I could scream right now and have them aid me.”
“Can you?”
The question without malice but dangerous all the same. The hair on the back of her neck prickled to life. They hadn’t mentioned her speaking to this man. Not once. Had they noticed how many times he’d bothered her? The man did pay attention to that detail and even pointed it out. She pushed off the rail towards the quarter deck. His tall body blocking her straight away, slapping his hand on the rail.
“I wasn’t threatening you. I just don’t think you’re very aware, Miss. You should be. I don’t want to see you harmed.”
The oddest thing happened then. It almost felt like comforting of a hug when you felt down from a friend. She realized he actually meant to be kind.
Where did that come from?
She couldn’t take a chance on him being sincere or not. He was a stranger. He shouldn’t be concerned at all about her. Distrust came next in her mind. He might be using a ploy to gain her confidence and try to take her below deck like he’d threaten before. She acted on impulse then, her knee bent and connected it to his groin. Hard.
He dropped to the deck on his knees holding himself. She raced around him running up the quarter deck. The Captain and his wife looked confused at her rushing. She slowed enough to give them a polite but quick excuse of being tired and ready for bed. When reaching her room, she sank her back against the door, she couldn’t hold the tears in. Her hands lifted to cover her face.
She wanted to go home feeling so alone. She didn’t know how much more of this trip she could actually bear. She’d just attacked a man who seemed to want to help her but for what reason? What had drawn him to even notice her at all? Elanor tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling. This wasn’t going the way she’d thought it would. She’d just wanted to keep to herself. Getting to the Instlind. Look for clues and then taking the ship back home. But somehow she kept getting too much attention from the Captain and his wife and a crew member. There were other passengers on the ship but Elanor never really saw them. Perhaps they’d been smarter than her and kept to their rooms.
The next day Elanor didn’t leave her tiny space of a room. She sent word to Mrs. Richardson that she wasn’t feeling well through the cabin boy. That had worked for most of the day, until she really did get sea sick from being in the small room.
The heat was becoming unbearable. When she couldn’t stand it any longer, Elanor left cautiously.
Coming out of the lower decks, she took deep breaths of the cool sea air. Everyone milled about as they did everyday on a busy ship. She didn’t spot the odd man anywhere. She really didn’t want to run into him again. Nor did she want to see the Captain and his wife either.
Her eyes drifted over the decks, looking for them all. In her search, Elanor spotted the man’s friend but he seemed to disappear as she slowed her pace. Panic started to well up inside her belly.
She passed by the other man crouching with his head bent low working on a tangle of rope. She almost looked at him twice, a familiar feeling came over her but she didn’t dare to invite another man on this ship to notice her because of eye contact. Instead she hurried towards the quarter deck where she thought the Captain might be this time of day.
“You aim well, Miss.” The other man called through what she could only assume was his hands cupped.
She knew exactly what he was indicating with that comment, he must have seen the incident the previous night. Were they all this forward on ships? Talking to complete strangers? She glanced over her shoulder at the other man, then away quickly. Had she hurt the strange man badly enough to keep him from his work? She hadn’t meant to do anything but get away from him. Her knee might have hit harder than she intended.
Guilt twinged once again in the back of her mind.
She hoped he was alright, even tempted to turn about and ask the other man if she had done damage.
How could she really know his intention?
She could be the one in pain and maybe worse today instead if she hadn’t reacted that way. After giving up on the Captain and his presences on the quarter deck; she decided to stay there and let the sea air take the sickness from her stomach.
She leaned against the rail, gazing out over the deep blue ocean. The day turned out to be clear and bright again. Not a cloud in the sky and it felt hotter than the day before. Something didn’t feel quite right about it though. The energy in the air had changed.
She’d never felt the pulse that radiated around them now. The sun energy had an intensity she’d never felt before even in summer.
“Feeling better are you? My wife is having a nap herself, the warm weather has her feeling a little wilted.” Captain Richardson said coming up the stairs.
“A little better after getting some air. It is so warm.” Elanor agreed.
“Yes well, the weather can change quickly.” He repeated his words from before. His gaze darting over a shoulder and then back to Elanor. “I left my quarters to check on the ship and its progress, now I must go back and check on my wife.” He spoke quickly. His abruptness strange, perhaps he was affected by the weather as well.
“Please tell Mrs. Richardson I hope she feels better soon.”
The Captain gave a polite nod, then headed back in the direction he’d just come from. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. It occurred to her that the Captain hadn’t offered an escort back to her quarters. In fact, he’d never really acted like he or his wife, were her chaperone.
Elanor decided to get back to her quarters and not test her luck. Her intent too late though, she was waylaid by a steel band arm that pulled her without effort into the small space that was the wall of the quarter deck and the front mast.
The second man that had sometimes been with the wild crewman turned sideways though there was room enough for him to stand normal. He had a hat on that was pulled very low blocking the view of most of his face. Her heart lurched. Twisting and pulling, she tired to break free.
“Do not knee me.” He commanded.
“Do not detain me then.” She demanded. Elanor felt as though she knew his voice from some where. Did she meet this man before when she sailed with her Father?
She still couldn’t see much of his face, but his lips and cheeks were a bit more visible. His lips bowed in a cocky smile realizing what she had been staring at. He couldn’t possibly be this cheeky. Had the wild looking man made it seem like she were an easy target on the ship? She’d seen him or his back rather retreating when she’d be accosted by the other man. Had he worked up the courage to detain her since the Captain paid no mind? Elanor attempted to push past him but he grasped her wrists to twist behind her back and her chest pressing against the wall now. He stood too close behind her.
“Let me go!”
“He told you what could happen if you were flaunting yourself on the deck alone. You’ve been warned many times now.” He was close enough now that as he spoke, the warmth of his breath fanned the back of her neck. She could smell something sweet on his breath. That was unexpected. She’d assumed all men of the sea smelled of stale port or rum. Surprisingly, he didn’t smell fowl at all. And his voice really did sound like one she’d heard before. But the gravelly deep sound almost didn’t seem natural. Like the other man, he didn’t seem to fit the usual crew her father hired.
“Let me go please, I was returning to my quarters when you stopped me.”
“No, you will listen.” He hissed in the same low speech. The unexpected command cut her short of what to say next. She’d have to decided very shortly if she’d allow this to continue or if she’d used her magic to force him to let her go. The electric current of energy started to tingling in her finger tips. She hadn’t felt it in a very long time but it came back to her quickly with the threat of danger seeming to be right there behind her.
What did they want?
The two men were clearly working together on this barrage of attacks of telling her what she could and could not do. And while the other strange man hadn’t seem to worry about her seeing his face, this one was doing his best to keep her from seeing. Did he plan to hurt her and then she would be unable to identify him after? She closed her eyes letting the magic flow through her fingers into her arms.
“Easy, don’t do anything you’re going to regret.” He said. Did he know what she was trying to do? Her eyes flew open trying to twist to look at him now.
“Take your hands off me.” She hissed back. “Why are the two of you following me and- what are you hiding? Are you even working on this ship? Does the Captain know you’re here? Are you stow aways?” Her heart hammered in her chest. She wasn’t exactly interested in his answers. The longer he talked the better of a charge her magic would have. If they were standing closer to the water she’d already be casting. It had been years since she’d used her magic but it came back to her quickly. She waited for an answer since she was pinned. But she wouldn’t wait long.
He didn’t deny her claim, only tilted his head down with a sigh.
“And for a moment, you almost understood I think. “ He kept that same low oddity to his voice. “Like I said, don’t do anything you’re going to regret. Things are not what they seem and you may find yourself in a position you won’t like if you do. You need to just stay the hell off the deck by yourself. The Captain has his own agendas.”
She stared at the wooden wall confused. Agendas?
“Why would I find myself in a position I wouldn’t like-“ She felt her stomach drop.
No, no no, it couldn’t be that.
That idea too far fetch but still the words seemed to tumble forth.
“The ship is heading in the wrong direction isn’t it?” Her chest lifted and fell as she worked it out loud. “It’s too hot for the North. I’ve been sweating today and even if the weather doesn’t have that much of a change for this long on the water. The Captain went in the opposite direction…. he’s going south!” Her mouth flew open in shock before she exclaimed. “He can‘t do that!”
“I’m glad to know you haven’t lost your reason completely. You put that all together well enough. The rest we will tell you when it’s time.” She realized then too, this man who had been following her around had to be in on this as well to know so much. Fury welled in her center. They were taking her in the opposite direction she needed to be in to help Maegan and- they were stealing her Father’s ship!
The fury pulsed up her spine, to her belly and spread like wild fire through her veins.
Kinetic energy pulsed through her palms, shoving him away from her. Too late she realized she’d used her abilities but at this point, she didn’t care. They were ruining her chance to find her sister. Elanor swung sharp on the ball of her foot, letting the pulse of energy flow through her into her hands and expel in a severe jolt to the man. In the cramped space he slammed into the opposite wall before slouching down. She had no doubt it hurt but it wouldn’t keep him down for long. She’d ran for the stairs taking them quickly. When reaching the top of them, the Captain came out his cabin.
“Captain Richardson, I demand to know why we’re heading in the wrong direction. My Father specifically told you our headings. Going off course is not acceptable!” The impulse to reach for the twisted wand hidden within her waistline grew as it all began to sink in.
She’d ignored her instincts since setting sail. She’d tried too hard to keep to herself, missing every single sign something hadn’t been right because of fear. He didn’t answer, instead glanced behind her. Before she could turn to see whom he’d look at, something jerked over her head. Just as swiftly her arms were being pinned to her back. She struggled as ropes were tied to her wrists.
Elanor screamed, struggling against the binds. Had her worst fear been realized? Terror swamped her, overwhelmed as deep heaving breaths wracked from her. Were they going to kill her now?
She lost her balance, the full length of her body hitting the deck painfully. They jerked her up to a sitting position as more rope bound about her ankles.
“I am sorry, but I can’t have you making trouble when we’re this close. I will warn you that the men we are meeting are not kind. It would be in your best interest to be agreeable and not troublesome.” Said the Captain nearby.
“Why are you doing this?” She choked out.
“It’s none of your business.”
“Please don’t do this!” A blow to her back knocked the wind out of her lungs.
She couldn’t catch her breath. She’d never been struck like that before and so the sensation wasn’t one she could easily recover from.
“Take her below deck.” Roughly jerked to her bound feet, a shoulder sank into her belly before lifting her up. She hung heavily upside down. The person’s shoulder dug painfully into her stomach. Dangerously close to being sick, she held her breath fighting against the nausea. As quickly as she’d been picked up, she was equally quick to be put down. She felt the small cot meet her body but it didn’t have any straw or feather to soften the impact.
She groaned, folding her knees up towards her stomach. It felt better to stay like that. She just needed to catch her breath.