Chapter twenty-seven
“They’re coming over.”
It had been a terrifying approach to the two ships. They could see the crew of the pirate ship shifting in position getting ready for a fight. Derek had ordered his own crew to stand ready but his ship wasn’t meant for battles. It was a merchant ship that was built for speed. All three ships bobbed and swayed in the water. When close enough, exchanges of intent were given and now the pirate Captain and two men were crossing over from their ship to Derek’s.
“Not one word, Elanor. No magic, no speaking. Nothing.” Derek ground out in a low voice. “Stand quietly over there by those crates. If this goes south, you run for my cabin.” She stole a glance towards her Father’s ship having spotted both her Father and Grandmother on their knees. Derek’s fingers bit into her upper arm in a squeeze and forceful push towards where he had said.
“I mean it.” She didn’t protest or dig her heels in to stop him from starting her on her way to the crates. She had to stand in the shade of the crates, the sun making the wood deck too hot for her bare feet. She marveled at the irony of how beautiful a day it was and such a terrible thing was happening. Elanor could easily pick their Captain out with his silk garb and fancy gold jewelry but what did surpriseElanor was the man’s age.
He couldn’t be more than a few years older then Stepp.
“You’re just in time for my rummage sale.” The young Pirate said in a booming voice heavily accented. His men chuckled.
“I see that.” Derek said gesturing to the other two ships. “I’m looking for a trade. That ship is part of my business. It’s unfortunate that they were foolish enough to cross your waters, Mate.” She hoped Derek was only feeding the man’s ego, clearly this wasn’t anyone’s water. The Barbary Corsairs were meant to be in a treaty with Inglid but all merchants knew to cut and run if they saw the pirate ships. Her sister Teagan had teased about this moment when they tried to convince her not go looking for Meagan on her own. . A sudden tremble of fear shot through her realizing that her three sisters could be on the ship too. Did they accompany her Father? She couldn’t bear them being taken for the slave market. Fear began to overwhelm her and with it, energy pulsed from her chest to her finger tips.
“I have no use for another ship. That is acceptable but I will be taking the cargo.” Barely did the conversation creep back into her scattered thoughts. Elanor tried to breath through her nose in long inhales of air. She held her breath until pangs of protest made her exhale. Her fingers began to flex and curl.
“I can agree to that. And the passengers will be left behind.”
“Then you are willing to pay the ransoms?”
Derek’s posture told her just by the slight flex of already tight muscles that he didn’t like that answer.
“I know you’ve obtained a great deal of coin, Mate.” No doubt he was thinking that her Father had brought money to pay the ransom for her since they thought she was captured by pirates. By the arrogant smirk the young pirate captain made it must have been true.
“Aye, but what’s on the ship is mine.” He lifted a hand airily. “We are talking about trading for those things, yes?”
She began to lose the battle against her fear again. They couldn’t possibly come up with ransom sums. She knew Derek didn’t carry his full funds with him for the exact reason that was happening. And going to Inglid for the government to pay for it would take weeks even with her father being a prominent business man. They wouldn’t be treated well and she couldn’t let that happen. Elanor’s gaze shot to the water and then to each ship. She was the most powerful person here but her hands were tied.
She brought her attention back to the conversation hopelessly. Derek stood his ground in spite of the clear message the pirate was giving him. He didn’t look nervous or sound like he felt beaten. A twinge tickled at the back of her mind. He was already doing something. A cold wash of reality that he had been right to be upset with her. To accuse her of not believing he could protect her. He’d been managing pirates and sea trouble for the past few years. And already she’d gone into a hysteria wondering what she needed to do to save the day.
Trust that he could manage this. Have faith in him.
The fearful energy began to be refocused to prayer.
She had to have faith in Derek no matter how scared she was.
She had to believe that he could do this.
She had to believe in him.
Her hands lifted to hover near her chin, not exactly clasped but enough to muffle the whispers she needed to say aloud.
“Hail Cernunnus, Father of all, please please help my husband find the wisdom and courage to overcome the feat at hand. Show him the possibilities that he needs to see.” Her right hand lowered to her heart as she whispered her prayer to the Father god. “Please help him see the right path, I ask in humility and humbleness. I am one of your faithful loving daughters and offer you all that I am for him.”
“No, that’s not acceptable. Perhaps though, one of my men would be willing to take the woman.” Elanor had closed her eyes to repeat the prayer over and over so it wasn’t until the word woman penetrated that they flashed open. The pirate stared at her, letting his eyes drifted unhurriedly down to her feet and then back up. Derek looked over his shoulder at her giving an accusing glare. He must have thought she was disobeying his orders not to do magic.
“I would be tempted. I’m in fact bringing her back to Inglid because she’s such a pain in my ass.” Elanor’s eyes grew as large as saucers. He wouldn’t actually send her with these pirates? He had good reason to be angry with her, maybe even resent her for losing faith but sending her to the slave market?
“Excellent. I would be doing you a favor after all.” The young pirate’s arrogance showing again, “We don’t worry about insolence. It’s simple to discipline them.”
“As much as I appreciate your offer of a favor, Mate, she is my wife.” He sounded as though it were the worst fate in the world for him. “And my father in law over there isn’t going to take too kindly that I traded his daughter.”
“Pity. We will sink the ship and be on our way then.”
Clearly the Corsair wasn’t pleased with the stall again. He was losing interest in the conversation. Suddenly Derek looked over his shoulder at her again, the accusation gone and a small squint of question about the lines of his handsome face. She didn’t know what was going through his mind but it was soon answered when he turned back to the young pirate.
“I do have one last thing to trade with.”
“Oh? I think you are wasting my time.” The airy wave of his hand dismissing any notion that Derek had anything to offer at this point.
“Yes, valuable information. I would be willing to trade you for the ship intact and its passengers.” Derek didn’t falter in his negotiation skills. “I know of a vulnerable position which will yield a highly valuable ransom.”
“Why would I want to waste my time with an untrusted source? You could be trying to send my ship into a trap.”
“It’s a risk to be sure.” Derek didn’t deny. “But, if you pursue this venture, Mate, you’re going to make a name for yourself. And make a lot of money.” Elanor watched the other man clearly become tempted by the offer. The appeal of making a name for himself what had snared him.
Her fingers weaved into each other willing him to take the agreement. On edge, she looked over to where her Father and Nain were still kneeling. Their faces had taken a vicious red; cheeks burnt by the sun. This had to end soon.
“I would need supplies enough to make the journey to where this,” The Corsair’s tone taking a scoffing sound. “Valued pursuit is and back to my home country.”
“What kind of supplies?” Derek inquired with an edge to his voice. She guessed it was because he knew that the pirates had already cleaned her Father’s ship of fresh water and food. If the pirates took the same from his ship it would leave them in a very bad way.
But, then again, it wouldn’t! Even before the pirate had answered she was drumming up a plan in her head. Something Derek might not get upset at her for doing.
“Water and food of course. All that can be spared.” He would have no idea what Elanor could do and how he’d just gave them the best demand that he could. Derek turned to glance over his shoulder at her as though considering the haggling. She only just gave a full eye contact before dropping her head again so that it didn’t draw attention to herself.
Please remember what I can do. She willed him.
“That would put my crew and the others in a tight position. But I will agree. You have a deal.” He motioned to Stepp to come over to him giving the order to get all barrels of water and food. He called to another crew member to bring the map while all the barrels were collected. Fruit from the Island, rum, grog and other staples came from below deck. It would put them in a bad way. She couldn’t fix that but she could bring back a supply of fish and water to get them safely to a Port. The confidence she had felt good despite what was happening around her. She could do this. Barrel after barrel, crate after crate pulled from their respective places. Derek didn’t begin his showing of the map until the last supply cargo had left his ship to theirs.
“I will begin as soon as your crew leaves the other ship.” Derek said matter fact. Elanor winced since the experience so far with this young Barbary pirate had been that he didn’t respond to orders or demands well.
“I didn’t see enough water pass. I think one more barrel will satisfy this deal.”
“I believe we gave all the supplies. It should be more than enough.” Derek’s voice held a warning.
“No, one more is the only acceptable offer.” She knew Derek well enough that the resolve to end this without a fight was starting to fade. His body language said he’d had enough of this whelp and would be throwing a punch soon.
“We will check again.” He said tightly.
He’d said no magic but they were so close to this all ending without anyone getting hurt. It would take grounding and connecting to her sister’s elements but it would take too long for that. For the first time, she’d have to rely on her own elemental powers only. She channeled the sea water from below to stream up in a thin line up the side of the ship and into a barrel that had been used for rain catch. It was dry the last time checked but if she could filter the sea water fast enough... If she were caught it wouldn’t be just a harsh discussion about ‘disobeying’ him. The pirates were seekers and the harshest kind. They would kill her for being a caster.
She held her breath forcing the water to move as quickly as she could muster. The effort physical and rushed. She had to urge it even faster as Derek’s men started to return empty handed one by one. Elanor could only hope that the water wasn’t salty and there was enough of it to end this. She just had to have faith in herself now. Stepp started by her, no doubt going to give the bad news as well. She caught his eye and with a quick glance told him with no words to check that barrel. He looked confused. Again her eyes left him to dart to the barrel. When her sight traveled back to him she realized he wasn’t confused by her direction but by the fact that he knew it had been empty. One of his jobs was to keep track of such things.
Elanor raised her brows.
He walked to the barrel though clearly he didn’t believe there would be any reason to. The surprise on his face swiftly changed. “Over ‘ere Captain. We must have missed this one.”
“Aye, bring it over” Derek said to his men. She didn’t dare look at him; not needing to as she could feel the heat of his eyes more intense than the sun. He couldn’t hold it against her long if this would finally get this awful ordeal over with.
“Excellent. You may show me the map now.” The pirate Captain’s pompus hand lifted to signal the men on her Father’s ship. They started to leave like rats deserting. Derek didn’t take the baiting this time. He began explaining the position of the course the Corsair would need to take to get to where ever he’d had in mind. She couldn’t hear the instructions or the conversation but when Caspin suddenly looked- impressed? Excited? She guessed where Derek would be sending them. While it would clearly give Leelah and her husband some solace she knew this would still be eating at Derek. All he believed in, working to free people of all cultures from that sort of life. He was sending a pirate to do exactly what he hated.
The one good thing the young Barbary pirate did was not linger after everything. He and his crew were prompt to leave Derek’s ship, dropping sail and starting off in whatever directions that had been given. No one was foolish enough to count it over until the sails were a blur on the horizon and then disappearing completely from telescope sight.
When the word came from both ships all were clear, Elanor raced to the rail nearest to the other ship. Her Father and Grandmother had already gotten off their knees and were standing haggardly in the shade they found.
“Are you alright!” She shouted over. “Are you hurt?”
“We are not hurt!” Her Father shouted back helping her Grandmother walk towards the cabin of the ship.
Behind her Derek gave orders as did the other ship’s Captain. It was decided with precision that the only way they could survive the ordeal was to turn back towards the Islands. From across the way she could see her family recovering as best they could. They clearly needed to get out of the sun, giving her a long look before haggardly before disappearing into the cabin.
Elanor approached Derek cautiously.
“We’ll re-supply and wait for word whether any have escaped.” Derek was telling his men. “It was a calculated risk but I hope each of you understands why I did it. To keep us safe and take care of that bloody bastard for Caspin.” There was a rippling murmur from the men. “If any of you wants to stay at the Port we’re supplying at, you won’t be held. We’re all free men.” The murmuring grew louder with pride and agreement. Elanor felt her own sense of pride well up from the tail end of the speech. Admiration for how great Captain and a good man he had become swelled inside her.
“Get to your stations and set the sails.” He started toward his own station before tossing over his shoulder to his men, “Someone get her over to her Father’s ship before we sail.” Elanor wanted to protest. Didn’t he want to talk to her before she left? He walked away without so much as a glance in her direction. Didn’t he want her to help get them there quicker? And did he just say ‘her’ instead of her name?
She was tempted to follow him but the crew had followed his orders quickly. There was a plank between the ships, secured and ready for her passing from one ship to the other. She took one more moment to look in his direction before letting one of the men give her a hand up. It was still a horrible height for her to be doing this but she’d finally trusted the crew to get her across.
One of her Father’s sailors helped her down and the plank was withdrawn. Elanor watched them set the sails; reluctantly walking towards her Father’s cabin. She didn’t know how to feel. This is what she wanted. What she’d been badgering him to let her do for months now. But there was no sense of relief or anything. She just felt numb. How could he just send her off without at least saying good bye or she’d even settle for him telling her off for using magic when he said not to.
Was this it? Would she ever see him again? They were married in this realm and spiritually connected for life. It had been so hard to leave him years ago but at least she’d explained and talked to him. Yes, it was a stretch of the truth but she still gave him a reason! When she reached the door, a crushing fact of reality settled into her.
He’d really completely given up on her.