Warding Song

The wind rose on their way to Puerto Escondido, until Vanan and Lanmèa whipped up another storm. Eleyna weathered it better this time, but the Tenebra wasn’t so lucky. One of the yardarms had broken off, and they’d blown well off course. Vanan, who remained as a stiff breeze, kept nudging the ship south-east.

“It’s no good, men,” Fernando announced, once the crew had tried and failed to repair the yardarm with what they had. “Time to break out the oars. Oi! Less of that groaning. Miguel, put us on a course for Alalanes. Quicker to take what we need from the locals than row to Escondido. What is it, girl?” he asked Eleyna. “Come on, spit it out. I don’t have all day.”

She pointed at an island on the horizon and inquired, “Um, Captain, why don’t we just hove the ship down there? That island is much closer.”

“Because it’s an accursed place, that’s why. I know you’re trying to help, but no sailor, be they pirate or not, in their right mind would land on Entedines.”

Something about that name was familiar, but before she could ask about it, the captain told her to follow him below. The crew was sitting on benches, the ones they usually slept between or on, with oars in hand. Fernando stood her in front of a large drum, facing towards the benches. “Make yourself useful and keep a steady beat on this for us to row to, got it?”

She quickly got the hang of it, once the pirates started a rowing shanty. Eleyna drummed to the beat. Entedines slipped her mind. At last the ship reached an island, and they weighed anchor. Eleyna tried to climb down into a rowboat, only to be pulled back by Fernando. “Nice try, girl. You won’t be of any use. Do as you’re told and stay here,” he ordered sternly.

Eleyna stuck her tongue out when he wasn’t looking. When the pirates returned they bore timber to fix the yardarm, but also gold ornaments, as well as fresh fruit such as papayas and peaches. They came aboard wiping blood off their swords, making crude remarks about the native women.

Eleyna hung back as Fernando divided up the spoils. Raiding merchant ships was one thing – they had muskets, cannons and swords to fight back with. The islanders had no such defences … suddenly, Eleyna was glad that she hadn’t gone ashore. Still, when she was offered a peach, it tempted her. Fresh fruit was hard to come by at sea, and she hadn’t had one in so long.

As she chewed on its sweet flesh, Eleyna remembered where she’d heard about Entedines. Pablo had told her about it, what felt like a lifetime ago. Of course, he’d said there was a monster there, and that seemed far-fetched. But Fernando did say the island was cursed. Maybe I don’t want to know.

At last the Tenebra made it to Escondido. Their ill-gotten cargo was weighing them down, and could be traded for more useful supplies. The captain left Marcus in charge of a small skeleton crew, and Miguel in charge of the rest. Then he beckoned to Eleyna and instructed, “Come with me, and keep up.”

Surprised, and curious, she followed him along the pier. Eleyna’s confusion increased when Fernando didn’t head into the town, but instead skirted around it past the slums. They passed beggars with grubby children in their laps, and men who leered at Eleyna as she walked by. She quickened her pace. “Err, Captain, sir? Where are we going, exactly?” she inquired.

“Out of the way,” he replied unhelpfully, without breaking his stride. Eleyna had to jog to keep up, and the ground felt like it was shifting. Why is he leading me out here alone? For a moment she feared that he planned to kill her. That was ridiculous; if he wanted her dead, he’d have done it by now.

“Yeah, but where? And out of who’s way? Can’t you tell me what’s going on?” Eleyna demanded. “Please, Captain,” she added hastily. “I just want – ”

Fernando suddenly came to a halt, and Eleyna nearly walked into him. “Wait here,” he ordered, moving forwards. Too bewildered to move, Eleyna looked for any clue as to what they were doing. There was grass on their left and a cliff edge on their right, the shanty town behind and a copse of trees ahead.

Fernando walked over to the copse. He doffed his captain’s hat to them for some reason, before picking up a branch and snapping it in half. Then he returned to Eleyna, and held one of the halves out to her. “That earlier … incident with your would-be kidnapper would have been avoided if you knew how to defend yourself. I’ve decided it’s time you learned how to fight.”

Eleyna grinned. “You’re really gonna teach me how to use a sword?” she asked eagerly. “You just shot that guy, though. Can I have a gun?”

“Sure, but there’s no chance you don’t immediately blow your own kneecaps off.” Eleyna frowned. He ignored her. “Let’s start with your stance. Feet slightly apart, leading foot in front.” She did her best to copy him. “You need to be steady, especially if you’re fighting on deck. One wrong step and it’s all over. Hold your weapon higher – it’s supposed to block strikes, like this.”

He swung without warning; Eleyna made a clumsy parry, barely stopping his stick from hitting her. Fernando pressed on the stick, and Eleyna shoved right back. He sidestepped, pulling his stick out of the way as she staggered forwards. He whacked the stick on the back of her legs, making her yelp.

“It’d hurt a lot more if it was a real sword,” he pointed out. “But you did manage to block my first strike, at least. Now you try to get past my guard.” He set his feet again. Calves stinging, Eleyna gripped her own stick and tried to dodge around to hit him from the left. He blocked her. She backed off a step, then lunged at him from the right. He blocked her again, laughing.

Before she could try again, he struck first, but Eleyna managed to dodge. She swung again; the bits of wood clattered against each other. “You’re being too obvious,” Fernando declared. “I can tell what you’re going to do long before you actually do it.” He feinted and twirled his stick, catching her on the ribs. “That’s injury number two, and you’ve yet to land a hit on – ”

With a frustrated cry, Eleyna ducked under his arm and thrust her stick at his stomach. Fernando pivoted out of the way, and poked her in the back. She scowled. “If this was a real duel, you’d be dead,” he remarked.“Actually, you’d have been dead long before this. I was going easy on you, really.”

“I’m doing my best, Captain.” It was best to stay respectful, even out here.

“I never said you weren't.” After a few more one-sided battles, Fernando shaded his eyes to glance up at the sun, and looked back towards Escondido. “I think that’s enough for now. I can get a couple of proper training swords from someone in town. Come on.” He tossed his stick aside, heading off back down the path. She dropped hers and hurried after him. “You’ll get the hang of it eventually,” he remarked.

Ignoring his patronising tone, she inquired, “Sir, can I ask you something?”

“You just did,” he smirked at her, apparently in a good mood. “Go on, then.”

“Back there … why did you take your hat off to that copse?” she questioned.

Fernando looked at her appraisingly. Finally he said, “I was showing a bit of respect, if you must know. That copse is a hangman’s grove.”

Eleyna looked over her shoulder. “You – you mean there were bodies in there?” The trees grew so close together she hadn’t been able to see between them. She pictured skeletons hanging from branches, out of sight.

“I spotted one through the gap, but don’t look so nervous. Dead men can’t do anything to you; or anything at all, really. It’s a distinct benefit of theirs.”

Eleyna declared, “I’m not nervous.” It did make her skin crawl, to realise she’d been that close to dead bodies without knowing. But if I’mgonna be a pirate and fight with a sword, I’ll need to get used to this sort of thing, death and killing and stuff. No more being squeamish, Eleyna told herself firmly.

She still thought it would be simpler to defend herself with a gun, though.

A fortnight had passed since the captain decided to teach Eleyna how to sword-fight. Now, she stood on deck, fingers wrapped around the hilt of a wooden cutlass. Fernando stood opposite her, also wielding a training sword. The crew was working hard, but also observing the proceedings with interest.

Without warning he slashed at Eleyna, who blocked it and dodged away. It was the first bit of advice she’d been given. “You can’t overwhelm an opponent with brute force,” Fernando told her, “you’re too small for that. Keep your balance, keep moving and when you find an opening, strike.”

Back and forth they went. The crack of blade against blade rang out. Eleyna couldn’t land a hit on Fernando, but he’d not struck her – yet. “Never take your eyes off your enemy’s weapon,” had been his second piece of advice. She parried his blows as much as she could, sweat pouring down her neck.

The duel seemed to both last forever, and no time at all. Eleyna stepped wrongly, and stumbled. Before she could regain her balance, Fernando jabbed the end of his fake cutlass into her stomach. “You’re dead.”

Eleyna straightened up, panting. “Okay, but I lasted longer that time!”

“For two minutes, maybe,” Fernando shrugged, wiping his brow. He handed her the other sword. “Put those away and fetch me a drink, there’s a good lass.” Eleyna rolled her eyes when his back was turned. It’s not fair. He can’t teach me to sword-fight and still treat me like a dumb little girl.

She helped herself to a stein of ale; using a sword was thirsty work. Of course the liquor only made matters worse, but fresh water was hard to come by on board a ship. As she swabbed the deck, Eleyna pretended that the mop was a sword; but it was really too long and cumbersome to practice with.

“What are you doing?” Ramon asked as he passed by, staring at her. She scowled at him. “Sorry, ma’am,” he sneered. “You did say you don’t want to be treated like a dumb little girl, didn’t you? Even though you were playing make-believe.” Eleyna had a sudden urge to whack him on the head.

With a withering glare, she retorted: “I was practising, if you must know.”

“I wouldn’t bother if I were you.” He took a menacing step closer. “You don’t belong here, and no amount of indulgence from the captain is gonna change that. If you knew what was good for you, you’d leave at the next port.”

“Too bad. Fernando said I’m staying, and he’s the captain, not you.”

“Yeah, well … ” Ramon scowled. “If you think you’re so great, then how about we make a wager. You and me, a duel, first to three hits wins. If you win, I won’t treat you like a wench; but if I win, you have to do a favour for me.”

This was too good to be true. “What kind of favour?” she asked suspiciously.

Ramon shrugged. “Oh, I’ll think of something. So do we have a deal or not?”

Before she could reply, Miguel shouted, “OI! Slackers! Back to work!”

“Deal. Meet you on deck tonight.” It was only after he’d walked away that what she’d done sank in. But if I don’t go he’ll never let me live it down.

So that night, she slipped out of the cabin and retrieved the training swords. Ramon was waiting for her on deck. “I was starting to think you weren’t gonna show,” he commented as she tossed him one of the fake cutlasses.

“Sorry to disappoint you,” she retorted. They circled each other, as the ship creaked underfoot. Eleyna darted towards him, but Ramon blocked her thrust and swung at her from the left. She moved to parry – but it was a feint. He spun the sword around and hit her shoulder before she knew what was happening. Eleyna bit back a wince at the bruise under her sleeve.

Ramon pressed the advantage and slashed at her, forcing Eleyna to dodge. “I won’t blame you if you wanna call it quits.” He forced her to retreat with blow after blow. Eleyna’s eyes narrowed. He raised his weapon; she ducked under his arm, but rather than get past his guard – he hit her on the butt.

“Ow!” she cried. Ramon laughed; so did the crew members on night duty. Eleyna glared and raised her sword again, correcting her stance as she did so. It was obvious she’d never win on his terms, but maybe she could last long enough to disarm him or something. She hoped. “Bring it, bilge rat.”

“Brave words, from a landlubber and a loser. You wanna end this? Fine.”

Eleyna was barely able to hold him off. She knew that Fernando was holding back when he duelled her, but she hadn’t realised how much. If they weren’t using wooden swords, and the duel wasn’t part of a wager … she’d think Ramon wanted to kill her. The thought made her falter; and then something blunt jabbed painfully hard into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

“Ha! I win!” Ramon cheered as she doubled over. “Now about this favour – gah!” he yelled, spinning on his heel to see … “Oh. Err. Hello, Captain.”

Fernando looked livid. “What part of ‘Eleyna is not to be harmed’, did you not understand, boy?” he demanded. Ramon cringed. “Go on. I’m waiting.”

“It, er, it was just a bit of fun, Captain. The girl – I mean, Eleyna wanted to practise her sword-fighting some more. Didn’t you?” Ramon asked her. If he thought she was going to cover for him, he had another thing coming.

“You’re not training her. If you pull a stunt like this again, the next time we hove down you’ll be scraping off barnacles with a rusty nail, got it?”

Ramon gulped and saluted. “Aye, aye, captain.”

“Good, and since you’re up anyway you can join the night shift. You,” Fernando snapped his fingers at Eleyna, “follow me.” He strode away; she trailed after him, head down. When they got back to his cabin, he motioned her inside and shut the door. “What, pray tell, did you think you were doing?”

Eleyna felt incredibly foolish. “I made a wager,” she replied, “with Ramon.”

“You made a wager to fight a more skilled opponent … why, exactly?”

She said petulantly, “He started it. He said if I won, he wouldn’t treat me like a little girl the way you” – Eleyna cut herself off, blushing, but it was too late.

Fernando remarked, “In fairness, agreeing to a wager against someone you know doesn’t like you, and trying to duel said person when you were clearly outmatched by him, in the dark, wasn’t your smartest move, now was it?”

Eleyna snorted. “Okay, yeah, that was pretty dumb,” she admitted. “I wanted to shut him up. I don’t know what his problem is. I think he wants to kill me.”

Fernando scoffed. “Don’t be daft. Ramon probably just wanted to knock you down a peg. No one likes a brat who thinks they’re special because they’re learning to wave a sword around,” he said harshly. Eleyna felt offended, but he carried on before she could protest. “What’ve you learned from all this?”

She considered, and replied, “That I shouldn’t make wagers I can’t win.”

“And to not let folks overhear you complain. Especially about your captain.”

“Sorry, Captain.”

“You’re not sorry you said it, you’re sorry you got caught,” he retorted. “Be careful what you say around people you don’t know and can’t trust; it’ll save you a lot of trouble,” he advised. “Now get some sleep. I'll wake you up early to practise some more. It seems you’ve still got a lot to learn, kid.” It was patronising, but seeing as she’d made a fool of herself, Eleyna had to agree.

After that humiliating defeat, Eleyna committed to practising swordsmanship (swords-womanship?) more than ever. Such was her enthusiasm that Fernando reminded her to master the basics before she tried to show off. “Quit trying to run before you can walk. You won’t learn it in a few months.”

The captain didn’t always have time to train her. He asked for volunteers to duel with Eleyna when they were off duty. Most of them weren’t keen on babysitting, but the chance to swing a sword at her was too good to miss. She had to get the hang of this fast, so they couldn’t tease her about it.

One day, having finished a particularly exhausting session against Marcus, he and Eleyna made their way to the galley. Fabian, glanced up from where he was curing jerky. “Did you two go for a swim? You’re dripping all over.”

Marcus and Eleyna were covered in sweat, and the embers drying out the strips of pork weren’t helping. “I wish I could go swimming,” she admitted, dragging the back of her arm across her forehead. Ugh. Marcus filled up a stein from the barrel. To her surprise, he handed her one as well. “Thanks.”

“Eh, don’t mention it,” he shrugged, taking a swig. “You didn’t do half bad.”

“I guess. You still beat me, though.”

“Yeah, but last time I won twice as fast,” Marcus pointed out. Eleyna was too tired to figure out if that made any sense. “You’re not half bad for a girl, then. Captain said you caught on fast. Guess he was telling the truth.”

“You didn’t get far if you couldn’t learn quickly, where I grew up.” She took a sip of ale, grimacing at the bitter flavour. “You’re the ship’s navigator, right?”

“How come the captain doesn’t navigate the ship?”

“Cause he’s got better things to do. Besides, steering isn’t the only job I have.”

“What else do you have to do?” Eleyna inquired curiously.

Fabian interrupted. “Oi, if you’re gonna ask questions you can ask “em while you’re helping cure this jerky. You’re already sweating, anyway,” he told her.

“I read the charts and maps that tell us where to go and how to get there, and what dangers are in the way. I fix “em when they’re mistaken. I’m the one who knows how to figure out where the ship is in the middle of the ocean. If it weren’t for me, the crew would sail around “til they found an island … or died of thirst. Or ran aground on a reef. Got a very important job, me.”

“Oh, of course,” Eleyna nodded. She glanced around and lowered her voice. “So does that mean you know where the buried treasure is?” she wondered.

Marcus burst out laughing. “Ha, ha! Treasure … buried … you think … !” He wheezed, slapping his knees. “You’re good for a joke, lass, I’ll give ya that!”

“I’m not joking! I saw a map of the archipelago, but Hove Island, where you told me about Bart the Batty, wasn’t on there. So I thought maybe the island is meant to be a secret ‘cause there’s hidden treasure there,” she explained.

Marcus smirked. “Kid, pirates don’t bury their booty. That’s a myth. We steal it and spend it on grub, ammo, booze and beauties. Especially the last two. You were prob’ly looking at an old map, from before we knew about Hove Island. Or maybe the captain had a different reason for leaving it off.”

Eleyna had been so sure … “What if a pirate did hide their treasure? Just in case they were, I dunno, saving it for something.”Or someone.

“Then they’d have to hide it pretty damn well, if they didn’t want it getting stolen,” replied Marcus. He and Fabian laughed at the irony. “Right, I gotta get back to work. Anything else you want to know before I leave?”

“Just one. How would you steer a ship that doesn’t have a wheel?”

“For starters, if it doesn't have a wheel, it’s not a ship. It’s a boat. As for steering, that depends. Row-boats have oars, dinghies have tillers. A stick attached to the rudder that you move to turn the boat. Push it starboard to turn to port and port to turn to starboard, nice and simple, got it?”

Eleyna barely got out a “yes” before Marcus walked off. She went back to tending the smouldering embers in their high-rimmed pan. I was sure … my locket, the date … maybe it really is a mistake. So much for mum leaving me a hidden message. Then again, Marcus said that map could have been old. If she found one that was up to date, she could figure out the truth at last.

Her opportunity came next week, when they chased down a schooner. Eleyna went straight to Fernando’s cabin, and made sure to lock the door. Then she rifled through his maps, looking for one that had the most recent date scrawled on the back. It didn’t take her long to find a suitable map, and roll it out across the desk. “Right, now for the coordinates,” she muttered.

First the latitude, eighteen degrees north … or was it south? Eleyna examined her locket for a clue, but couldn’t find one. She’d have to check all four combinations.“Eighteen degrees north, thirty-six degrees east.” That point was near the edge, and there was nothing but ocean.

There were still three more to try. “Thirty-six degrees west … still nothing. Let’s try eighteen degrees south, and west … argh!” Eleyna gave a cry of frustration as her fingers once again intersected over a blank patch. Either the coordinates in her locket were south-east – or they weren’t coordinates. “Eighteen degrees south … thirty-six degrees east. Please let this work.”

Her fingers dragged closer and closer together, until they met over yet another empty spot – but there was an island nearby. Eleyna’s heart leapt. She double-checked the coordinates, and this island was in the right place. Squinting at the small writing next to it, Eleyna read the word Ocaranes (O.M.). “I wonder what that stands for. Oh, who cares? I was right! Yes!”

There was a sudden loud knock behind her, and she jumped. “Coming!” Eleyna called, before unlocking and opening the door. “Hi, Captain.”

Fernando narrowed his eyes. “And what are you in such a good mood for?”

“Oh, er, no reason,” she smiled airily. “So … how did it go? The raid, I mean.”

“It was a colossal waste of time. They didn’t have any crystals or gold. On the bright side, they were more than happy to part with crates of food in exchange for being allowed to live – ah, leave.” Fernando noticed the map on his desk. “What’s this doing out?” he asked Eleyna, who winced sheepishly. “I got bored and looked at the map. What does O.M. stand for?”

“It’s short for ‘old mine’,” he answered, “and don’t you go looking through my stuff. If you’re bored, there’s plenty to be getting on with now that you’re not stuck in here,” Fernando declared, and shooed her out of his cabin again.

Abandoned mine, eh? Perfect place for hiding treasure in plain sight. The island’s name seemed familiar … then she remembered her locket was made in Ocaranes. As she worked, Eleyna began thinking of ways to convince Fernando to sail there. She finally brought it up that evening.

“Um, Captain? I’ve, er, I’ve been thinking.”

“Don’t hurt yourself,” he smirked. “That’s a dangerous pastime, you know.”

“Heh. No, but really, I think … I think we should go to Ocaranes.”

There was a long pause. “And why precisely would we do that?” he inquired.

She knew from his tone that this wasn’t going well. “Er, because there must be loads of ships down there that we – I mean, the crew hasn’t raided yet.”

“No there won't. I told you, the place is an old mine. It’s abandoned.”

“But the villages and towns there must have to trade for supplies and stuff.”

“There aren’t any villages. Ocaranes was only ever an iron mine. An iron mine that is now abandoned, and with no ships sailing to it. Including mine, so no, we’re not sailing to some random island in the middle of nowhere,” he declared.

No villages? But that doesn’t make any … wait, it does make sense! The locket wasn’t made in Ocaranes at all, it just says that so I know it’s a clue. “To my treasure, made in Ocaranes.” Hidden, more like. Eleyna felt confident, as if she was holding a charged amethyst, and suppressed a grin. “If you say so, Captain. Maybe I’ll go there myself one day,” she remarked.

“Don’t know why you’d bother; there’s nothing interesting there.”

That’s what you think Eleyna smirked to herself, when he wasn’t looking.

Eleyna used to climb onto roofs to get away from whoever she’d recently pickpocketed; they made for good hiding places, since nobody ever looked up. The crow’s nest was like a roof that swayed back and forth in the wind. Once she got used to it, the sensation was actually quite relaxing.

Not that she was relaxing; instead, on the lookout for Imperial ships to escape or merchant ships to raid. They were hoping to intercept vessels sailing between Amohanes and Limuanes. Further north was Dubines, an island she’d heard had once been home to dragons until hunters drove them away. Now it was a crystal mine, so there’d be rich pickings for pirates.

As she gazed out, a dark shape above her caught Eleyna’s eye. At first she thought it was a large bird, or a flock of them; then she looked through the spyglass, and her jaw dropped. There were a couple of dragons up there!

They were too far away for her to tell their size, but they looked huge. One seemed to be smaller than the other. Eleyna was thrilled; she’d never seen a dragon in real life before. She hoped they’d keep far away from the wooden, flammable ship … but it kind of looked like they were following the Tenebra. Sometimes it appeared they were looking right at her, but they couldn’t be …

“Oi, cabin girl!” Ramon, tightening knots up in the rigging, shouted up at her. “Ships are out on the sea, not up in the sky! You daydreaming, or what?”

She leaned over the side and called, “There are two dragons following us! Look!” She pointed up at them, but a large swathe of clouds was overhead and the dragons must have flown over it. “They are up there, I swear!”

“Ah, you’re imagining things! It’ll just be a couple of frigate birds. Now how’s about doing your actual job and keeping a lookout!”

Frigate birds? Seriously? I know I saw two dragons … I wonder what they’re doing here? she thought to herself. Eleyna recalled there’d once been a dragon nest on an island around here. Perhaps they were from that island, and had lost their home, the poor things. She knew how they felt.

She kept a lookout, frequently glancing up in the hopes of spotting the dragons again. Eleyna caught glimpses of dark shapes as the clouds thinned, but she couldn’t see them clearly. She was looking back towards the stern, when Ramon shouted from somewhere below her, “Land ahoy!”

There was a shout of acknowledgement from the deck. “You’re welcome, girl,” said Ramon. “Figured I’d do your job for you, seeing as you’re too busy daydreaming up there. Seen any more dragons? Or maybe a sea monster?”

“I did see two dragons,” she retorted. “They weren’t frigate birds. They’re probably still – look! See? Up there!” Eleyna cried, as first one dragon, then the other burst out of the clouds. For one heart stopping moment she thought they were going to attack; but one of them blocked the other’s way.

Eleyna looked over at Ramon, whose mouth was hanging open. Told you so. She smirked, and looked at the dragons. The bigger one flew forwards, but the smaller hovered there. Eleyna almost felt like it was looking at her.

Two days later, the pirates were lurking on the edge of a well-travelled shipping lane between Amohanes and Dubines. Merchant brigs would be sailing by, and the Tenebra was flying a false flag to blend in until they struck.

In the meantime, Eleyna practised her sword fighting. Fernando had begun to let her wield a proper cutlass, on the grounds that she needed to learn not to slice her own skin. The real sword was heavier than the wooden stand-in, and it threw off her balance. As the ship rose and fell beneath their feet, she staggered a little, but kept her fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt.

The captain gave a nod of approval. “Never drop your weapon,” he reiterated. She resumed her stance. “You’re holding it too low. Raise it up. Again!” Fernando lunged at her; she blocked his strike. The blades scraped against each other as she thrust towards him, making him jerk back.

He recovered quickly and swung at her again. “Ship ahoy!” Ramon bellowed from the crow’s nest. Distracted, Eleyna looked over her shoulder for the vessel. Fernando promptly swung his cutlass down, jerking the other out of her hands. When she looked back at him, the sword tip was at her chest.

“What did I say about not dropping your weapon?” he scolded. Eleyna was about to apologise, but he was already calling orders to the crew. So she picked up the sword and took it to his cabin. Another day, another raid, she thought idly. It was odd how this had become routine, much like her old life.

It was rather boring (though still a touch nerve wracking) to wait in the cabin for a raid to be over. So she occupied herself by hastily stowing the sword and anything loose, even tucking in the sheets on the bunk so they wouldn’t slide about. To think she used to hate making her bed.

The Tenebra faced the wind; Fernando struggled to keep her steady. The crew strained to hold the sails in place. Empty casks and crates were stacked on deck, and their cannons were hidden on the leeward side, to give the illusion of a labouring merchant ship. Their prey drew closer. “Hold it steady!” he encouraged his men. “We’ve got “em right where we want “em!”

The barque drew close enough. “Bring her about!” cried Fernando. He swung the wheel hard to port as his crew released the sails; the rigging snapped in the wind as it forced the ship around, bringing them alongside their target. Ramon hauled down the flag, their true colours flying instead.

“Fire across the bow!” Fernando ordered; the shot rang out like thunder. Across the water, he could hear shouts. He handed the wheel to Marcus and ran up to the bulkhead. “Hand over the loot and you can go on your way!”

“Drink bilge water, pirate! We didn’t lose this cargo to dragons and we won’t lose it to the likes of you!” The other captain shouted to his men, “Fire!”

Fernando bellowed the same. The roar of the broadsides made their ears ring; cannonballs slammed into each other, or struck the vessels amidships.

He sprinted back to the wheel and swung it to starboard. This raid was a failure; no point in dragging it out. They’d repair the damage and try again, but the wind had turned against them, now blowing from the south-east.

Only when he tried to turn did Fernando realise they had unwelcome company. With their attention on the barque, not one pirate had noticed they were targets themselves. An Imperial frigate had sailed up on their starboard side; now both it and the barque were hemming the Tenebra in.

Fernando uttered a loud curse. “Loose the sails!” he bellowed. Several pirates climbed the rigging with all haste, gripping knives in their teeth with which to cut the half-reefed sails free; others were below deck, loading cannons and firing upon the Imperials instead. The foresail was cut loose and billowed out. Fernando swung the Tenebra’s prow to port, towards the barque, to force the other vessel aside, but they did not turn fast enough.

Both ships rammed together with a sickening, jarring crunch. The Tenebra lurched; the pirates in her rigging dropped their knives, leaving the sail tangled in its own half slashed lines and still half-reefed. “All hands on deck!”

Miguel passed the order, and the lightest amongst them swarmed up the rigging. At last the barque moved aside; if they could free the mainsail and catch the wind properly, there was still a chance they could make a getaway. “Not today, Rogue,” the captain muttered. “Not today, Lanmèa, please … ”

The Imperials didn’t give them a chance to escape. Fernando heard the familiar order being shouted, and then felt the bone-shaking thud of many cannons being fired simultaneously. The cannonballs struck below the waterline. The sea rushed in; the timbers groaned as if in pain as the deck listed. Fernando braced himself and cursed again. “No, no! Damn it, no!”

A muffled scream made him remember – Eleyna. She was still in his cabin, and if they went down – Rogue forbid – she’d be trapped. “Marcus!” he yelled at the navigator, who had a soft spot for her. “Get the girl out of there!” Marcus’s eyes widened; he half-ran, half-skidded towards the aft-castle.

The Imperials were coming to take them prisoner. His men were sliding towards the enemy or stranded in the rigging; one unlucky soul was tangled in the ropes and dangling. It was a stark glimpse of the future. Fernando braced his musket against the wheel and fired at the men boarding his ship. His ship, the one that he’d sweated and bled on, that was sinking …

Eleyna was terrified. She had taken refuge under her bunk, hands clamped over her ears. The ship rocked, waves surging against its sides. She heard Fernando shouting orders, but the words were hard to make out. Eleyna was thrown forwards by a sudden jolt and heard a terrible crack; before she could recover, the ship swung the other way and she was thrown again.

It felt like they’d rammed into something; had the other ship collided with them? She needed to know what was going on. Eleyna struggled to her feet and staggered over to peer through the porthole. The barque was moving away. She felt a burst of relief; surely it was over, and they were fleeing.

Without warning, a deafening boom exploded on the far side of the Tenebra, and she screamed. The deck tilted inexorably to port. Everything that wasn’t held down, including Eleyna herself, slid or rolled down the sudden, unexpected slope. She waited for the Tenebra to right itself, but if anything the tilt was getting steeper, and Eleyna realised the ship had begun to sink.

If the ship really was going down, the last place she wanted to be was in this cabin. She scrambled towards the door, and hesitated. “If we ever have to abandon ship, leave your rucksack behind,”Fernando had told her. Yet there were things in it she needed, and it wasn’t as if the rucksack was heavy.

She retrieved the rucksack from under the bunk, staggered over to the desk and grabbed an up-to-date map, tucking it into her pocket, before struggling over to the cabin door. The chair that she’d wedged against it as a barricade had fallen aside; Eleyna unlocked the door. It was pulled open by Marcus. “There you are! Come on, it’s time to go!” he urged, yanking her through.

They stumbled down the companionway; he gripped her arm to keep her upright. On the way, Marcus hastily explained what was going on. “Bloody Imps got the jump on us. Probably our last voyage, this; it was nice knowing you, kid,” he said with a wink, opening the door that led out onto the deck.

Eleyna had heard the crack of muskets being shot from inside the ship; now they were even louder, and the acrid scent of gunpowder made her eyes water. She saw the pirates battling against Imps boarding the Tenebra.

Bodies floated in the water; some wore Imperial uniforms, but several of them were crew members. The Imperials were trying to take Fernando’s men prisoner, but they were desperate men with nothing left to lose.

Marcus shoved her to the deck. In the same moment she heard a gunshot that rattled her bones, and a cry from the man now lying on top of her. Eleyna struggled to get out from under his weight. “Marcus, get off!” He moved, but his pained groan chilled her. She twisted around to look at him. He was gasping, eyes bulged, blood spreading across his chest. “No!”

Eleyna pressed her hands against the wound, trying to stem it. Deep down she knew it was futile, that there was no saving him, but the King be damned, she liked Marcus. During her time aboard the Tenebra, which now seemed far too brief, she had come to see him as a friend, and he’d appeared to think of her fondly too. “Leave it be, lass,” he wheezed, choking on his own blood.

Someone grasped her arm in an iron grip and dragged her away. “Let go of me!” she yelled, struggling, but froze when she clapped eyes on her captor’s face. Fernando looked furious – not at her, but at the world, for daring to take his ship from him. Beneath the anger was sorrow, and even a hint of regret.

“Marcus is gone. He died trying to save you, don’t let it be in vain.”

Four Imperial officers aimed muskets at the pair. One of them commanded: “Halt! Drop your weapons and surrender, in the name of the Knight!” Fernando’s gaze hardened, and he shoved Eleyna away from himself.

“Brat! How did you get on board my ship?” he yelled; Eleyna gaped at him. He aimed his pistol at her, but two Imperials seized him before he could fire it. Not that he would. “You’re a stowaway! Or maybe a spy!” he accused her, glaring. It was so odd that … that it couldn’t be real, he didn’t mean it.

The officer in charge asked her, “Is this true? You stowed away?”

Eleyna hesitated, glancing between him and Fernando. “Yes. I did.”

“And you just happened to not discover her until now?” he inquired.

“Obviously! You think I’d be stupid enough to let a girl aboard? It’s bad luck! She’s the reason my ship is sinking!” He spat in Eleyna’s direction.

In a less aggressive tone, the officer questioned, “Where are you from, girl?”

“A – Amohanes.”She’d almost said “Atanes”, but if they took her there, she’d be right back where she started. “What are you going to do to him?” she asked, even though she knew. She couldn’t admit it to herself, but she knew.

He assured her, “Don’t worry, lass. These scum will pay for their crimes.”

“No, wait … they’re not that bad … ” Eleyna tried to protest. The pirates were criminals, and maybe not the nicest people, but they had let her join them. They’d tolerated her. Fernando and Marcus had been kind to her, if in a very gruff sort of way. Despite their faults, she didn’t think they deserved to be …

“Not that bad? You say that as if you know them,” the officer commented, brow furrowed slightly. Fernando lunged at Eleyna, straining against their grasp, and tried to kick her. She leapt backwards with the reflexes borne of sword training with him. The Imperial led Eleyna towards his vessel.

“You’re lucky we were here; that captain would have had you thrown overboard without a second thought,” he told her as they came to the plank connecting the two ships. “She’s a stowaway!” her escort called to the men on the other side, who lowered their weapons. “Over you go now, there’s a good girl,” he prompted, helping her up onto the plank to walk across.

Someone reached out to help her, but Eleyna didn’t lose her balance. She stepped down onto the other deck, turned and looked back at the sinking Tenebra, knowing that her world had shifted again, and life had changed.

Eleyna was led to a cabin with a desk, two chairs and a bookcase with bars across the shelves to keep the books from falling off. He asked for her rucksack; Eleyna reluctantly handed it over, and he searched it. The bag held nothing of interest, and she felt relieved that the map was in her pocket. He gestured for Eleyna to take a seat, and took one himself opposite her.

“I am Officer Rowles. There’s no need to be nervous; I simply need to ask you a few questions. First, what’s your name, and how old are you?”

“Ellie,” she replied. “Ellie Flanders. I’m sixteen. Are you gonna arrest me?”

“No, but tell me, how did you end up on that pirate ship, Miss Flanders?”

“I stowed away.”

Rowles chuckled slightly, and remarked, “Yes, quite. The question is, why?”

I can’t tell the truth, but he’ll investigate what I say, so I can’t lie much either. “I ran away. I didn’t know it was a pirate ship, it was just the first big ship I saw. I was hiding in the hold, but then I heard the cannons and it started sinking, and I got scared … ” Eleyna shrank in on herself, lips trembling.

Rowles looked sympathetic. He asked, “Why did you run away, Ellie?”

“I … I had to. My dad hit my mum, and she begged him to stop but he wouldn’t, and, and then … she fell and she didn’t get up and I was s-scared, s-so I ran … ” her breath hitched, “I didn’t know where to go, he’d find me … ”

“Now then, there’s no need to get worked up.” Rowles patted her knee, with a condescending smile. “You should have gone to the authorities, Ellie. To the guard. You’re from Amohanes, did you say? Might I ask the name of your home town?” he inquired lightly. “And what’s your father’s name?”

Eleyna struggled to recall what she’d seen on a map once. “San Eduardo,” she answered. As for her father’s name … “Ramon,” she picked finally.

Rowles made a note. “Ah, you’re from the capital. I must have a word with the dock master about that ship … and your mother’s name?” he prompted.

“Nicole,” she answered. Officer Rowles then asked where her house was, and her father’s place of work. Eleyna gave him her old address, and said that her father was a brewer, but she didn’t know where his brewery was.

He wrote all of that down, set the quill back in its pot, and rose to his feet. “So, here’s what is going to happen, Miss Flanders. When we reach port in San Eduardo, we’ll go to the city guard and tell them what your father has done. Then I’ll take you to my home. I have a daughter your age, I’m sure you’ll get along splendidly. Wait here for me, and please don’t touch anything.”

After he’d gone, Eleyna couldn’t resist touching everything in sight. How would he ever know? Then she looked for useful things he would hopefully not notice missing. In one drawer she came across a compass and a dagger. She slipped both items into her rucksack; they’d definitely come in handy. Eleyna sat down again, and wondered what she would do now.

A vague plan started to form; she would wait until they docked and left the ship, then ditch Officer Rowles, find her way to wherever they held the crew, steal the keys, and release everyone. Oh, but the Tenebrahad sank. Eleyna gave a brief salute in its memory. Instead, she would have to free them now.

They would take over … commandeer this ship. Fernando couldn’t dismiss her after all that; he’d be so grateful that he’d probably let her have anything she wanted. Eleyna would tell him the truth about her locket’s secret coordinates, they’d sail to Ocaranes, find her mother’s treasure – better yet, they’d sail to find her mother, or at least find out what happened to Nicole.

Eleyna marched over to the door and pulled it open. There was a guard outside. “Can I help you, miss?” he asked, looking down at her.

“Um … I wondered if Officer Rowles was coming back,” she replied, faltering.

“He’ll be back when he’s back. There’s books in there if you’re bored,” he told her dismissively. Eleyna shut the door again and leaned against it with a disappointed sigh. So, moving undetected through this caravel was out of the question; she’d just have to wait for a different opportunity to arise.

Officer Rowles led her out onto the deck. San Eduardo was a large and bustling port city. Eleyna clutched the straps of her rucksack tightly and followed him down the gangplank. The pier seemed to rise and fall like a pitching deck. She heard gulls cawing, and smelled the reek of seaweed. Rowles took her aside and told her to wait for him near a barnacle-encrusted bollard.

Nobody paid her any attention, too busy resupplying an Imperial vessel. She edged away, eyes peeled for anyone who might see her and ask what she was doing. Step by step, Eleyna made it down the pier and onto the shoreline. She hid behind a palm tree and watched the Imperials from there.

Guards led the pirates, manacled and with bags over their heads, down the pier and right past Eleyna. Taking care to keep out of the way, she followed the procession towards a row of yuccas at the shoreline. Two guards saluted when their fellow Imperials approached, standing aside to let them all pass.

One by one, the pirates were led forwards. Eleyna searched for a way past the yuccas whilst avoiding the guards, and discovered a gap in the back row. If she wriggled on her belly, she could squeeze between the trunks.

She hid her rucksack, checked nobody was watching, and dropped down. Eleyna squirmed between the trees, propped up on her elbows. She could see the white trousers and boots of the Imperials, and a wooden platform of some kind, but no sign of the pirates. Suddenly there was a crack, and the crew of the Tenebra dropped into her view. Or at least, their boots did.

Eleyna gasped; fortunately too quiet for anyone to hear. She glanced up, and quickly looked down. The Imperials talked, but Eleyna didn’t listen; she laid in the dirt, praying to the Rogue that she wouldn’t be discovered. At last the guards left. Eleyna crawled out of hiding, stood up, and swallowed.

I’m too late, she realised, unable to tear her eyes away. She’d known the pirates would be hanged, but she’d thought – hoped – that there’d be more time. A trial, or something. How foolish of her. The bodies were facing out to sea. These gallows were a warning to any other passing pirates.

She didn’t dare come into view of the guards, but Eleyna recognised each man. Miguel, the quartermaster. Fabian, the cook. Ramon; however much she’d disliked him, Eleyna never thought he deserved this. Only two were missing. Marcus, who had died already, killed saving her, and Fernando.

Eleyna wondered if she ought to try and rescue him. Only to remember his last words to her, that weren’t part of a ruse: “He died trying to save you. Don’t let it be in vain.”The captain wasn’t dead; there was an empty noose in the middle of them all. It could easily have been Eleyna hanging from that. Fernando didn’t trick the Imperials into sparing her just for her to get caught.

She brushed away tears, straightened her back, and saluted them. I should’ve known it was too good to be true. From now on, I’m on my own.

After leaving the grove, and retrieving her bag, Eleyna searched for something to eat. She’d have to steal a dinghy; no doubt Officer Rowles had men out looking for her. She had a map to follow and treasure to find.

Night took forever to fall, but at last, Eleyna returned to the docks. She avoided the Imperial vessels, and went to the commoners’ harbour. Some were rowboats; too slow. Others were crafts that would take more than one person to sail. Eleyna needed to find a dinghy she could steer all by herself.

Right in the corner, Eleyna came across what she was looking for. A small dinghy, its sail furled up and a couple of crates stored at the stern. She raised her stolen lantern higher, so its light would fall on the dinghy’s name. Acorazaria.‘Warding Song’, the hymn of protection. It felt like a sign.

With great care she climbed down the ladder, the lantern handle gripped in her teeth. Eleyna sang the warding song under her breath as she worked, praying to the sea lespri for this boat not to sink like the Tenebra had. There was a tiller at the stern; what had Marcus told her? Push it right to go left, and left to go right. That certainly wasn’t going to get confusing at all.

Eleyna quietly unfurled the sail, and then cast off the dock rope. Slowly but surely, the dinghy moved forwards. Eleyna steered it tentatively, afraid of crashing into another boat or worse, the harbour wall. The sail fluttered, and when she was past the breakers, it billowed. She turned the tiller to the left, and the dinghy turned right, pushed by the wind, towards the open sea.