Disclaimer: I do not own The Last Ship or The Black Jewels Trilogy, those belong to TNT and Anne Bishop respectively. I am just playing in their worlds for the time being.
For those unfamiliar with Anne Bishop's world, I've included a general key from her books about the people at the end.
Chapter One
Except for a small flame of witchfire, Rachel's workroom was dark when she stepped away from her work. That was to be expected though as the need to spin the tangled web of visions and dreams had woken her in the twilight hours. The intensity of the need had kept her awake until she'd at last listened and come to weave, to understand why the land whispered danger, danger to her.
Now it was nearly dawn and her web was complete. But Rachel took a moment to step away and steady her mind before she studied the dreams and visions contained within the web. The appearance of a tray of tea and nibbles at her personal table had her smiling; her butler, Markus, was already up and fussing over her in his own way. With a sigh, Rachel breathed in the aroma of the freshly brewed tea and went to pour herself a cup. Her hands trembled slightly with the effort, but she passed it off as tiredness.
Knowing that her males would fuss even more if she didn't look after herself, Rachel ate a little of the toast and fruit Markus had had prepared for her. When her cup of tea was gone, Rachel knew she could no longer put off inspecting the web she'd created. So she placed her cup down and returned to her web, ready to see what the future held. She looked and she saw what all other Black Widows throughout her Territory and the neighboring ones had been seeing the last few weeks.
Rivers of red blood flowing across the land. The bodies of the Blood rotting in fields ready to be harvested. Fear and death. Plague and ruin.
But because Rachel was more than just a Black Widow witch, she saw more as well. She saw a chance for hope.
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In the early morning, Warlord Prince Thomas Chandler stood on the dock watching as his new command, the Nathan James, was being stocked.
The presence of an approaching Warlord Prince had him rising to the killing edge until he recognized the psychic scent of his friend and second-in-command, Prince Michael Slattery. Mike kept his distance until Tom turned and smiled at him with a small nod to indicate he'd leashed his temper. They were Warlord Princes, the most violent and aggressive caste among the Blood and also the most protective, they did not apologize for being what they were.
"Looks like everything is coming together well, should be able to ship out this afternoon," Mike commented handing Tom a steaming mug of coffee.
Accepting the cup, Tom turned back to watching the Nathan James as Mike came to stand next to him on the left, a little ways behind. The subordinate position as Protocol dictated, giving respect to the fact Tom wore Sapphire, darker jewels than Mike's Green.
"Yes, the ship is ready and so is the crew," Tom agreed, the words he left unsaid were between them, known but not acknowledged.
Tom and Mike were men of Protocol and followers of the Old Ways. For those were the rules that kept the Blood strong and prosperous, that leashed the tempers and darker natures of Warlord Princes so that they could live in a veneer of civility. As men of honor, who served a good Queen who valued their honor in the same light, Tom and Mike were loyal and obedient to their Queen as Protocol commanded. The time for questioning this plan was over, their Queen had come to a decision and they were bound to their duty.
That did not stop the wrongness of this mission from chafing at them both. For Tom and Mike could sense the change in the land, the inherent sense that great danger was coming that had all the Warlord Princes dancing a heartbeat away from the killing edge. They wanted to stay and fight, to protect their Queen and land as was their right, but the Queen commanded otherwise. Her will was their life and so they put their faith in her as they had before and trusted she had a good reason for this venture, even if she wasn't telling them everything. But this left many unspoken words between them.
"Your wife and children are going to your father's after seeing you off?" Mike asked.
"Yes, it will be good for all of them. Yours?"
"To my brother's. My boy thinks he's old enough to be the protector, doesn't like it, but his mother convinced him," Mike grumbled without any heat.
"Well I wouldn't argue with your wife either, she's a very scary hearth witch when she wants to be," Tom clapped Mike on the shoulder.
"Your boy had his Birthright Ceremony not that long ago right? Came away with a Purple Dusk Jewel didn't he? So just you wait, soon enough the pissing contests are going to reach a whole new level for you and then you're going to see a new side of your wife as well."
"I have no doubt you're right, Mike," Tom said with a laugh; "And when that happens you and I can go out for a glass of ale and commiserate the easier days. Until then I think it's time we went back to our families or else our wives will have our hides for not spending enough time with them before we ship out."
Mike nodded at that and started back down the dock. Tom began to follow, but then stopped to look back at the Nathan James again, the scent of danger flowing strongly in the air. Among the Blood there was a saying: Everything has a price. And Tom wondered what the price of this mission would be.
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"What's that Papa?" Tom's bright-eyed boy, Sam, asked him as they stood on the ship's bridge.
"That's the com stat," Tom replied keeping a close eye on the boy to make sure he didn't touch anything he shouldn't.
"The what?" his daughter, Ashley, asked wrinkling her nose in suspicion, just like her mother did when Sam was causing mischief.
"That's short for communication station, it's how we talk with other ships and with the land stations while out at sea."
"Why don't you just talk on a thread?" Sam asked referring to the psychic threads all Blood learned to communicate on at a young age.
"Normally we do, but sometimes we come across problems, like storms, that require all our Craft to get through and we can't let up our focus for even the few seconds it would take to contact someone on a thread. So we use the com stat instead," Tom explained with a smile.
Other times the problem was the pirates out at sea who tracked communications on threads to find and attack lone ships. The com stat with its spelled airways allowed for communication that couldn't be tracked or listened in on. But that wasn't something his children needed to worry about while their father was at sea, so Tom said nothing about the pirates as he showed his family around the Nathan James.
Some of the crew stopped and gave the Chandlers a second look as Tom escorted his family, giving them insight into the day to day workings of the ship. But most of the crew kept about their business having served with Tom before to know this was ritual for the Warlord Prince and his family.
*Human puppies!* a cry went out on a common psychic thread as a brown and black dog came running up to Ashley and Sam.
On his arm Darien laughed at their children's expressions; they were not quite certain how to act with a Purple Dusk Warlord who was also a dog. Tom smiled, recognizing Halsey the Sceltie, who was kindred, one of the Blood who were not human. Following behind the Sceltie was his chosen human, a Green Jeweled Warlord named Daniel Green, who Tom knew only in passing. They all served the same Queen, but operated in different circles, Tom and Darien in the Fourth Circle, Lord Halsey and Lord Danny in the Seventh.
*Pet?* Halsey asked, tail wagging back and forth.
"Not right now Halsey, we have to report to our posts first," Danny reminded his furry companion.
*Then human puppies and I play?*
"If we have time and Prince Chandler does not object," Lord Danny stipulated and Tom nodded his agreement, his grin growing as his children started to catch on.
*Okay. Goodbye human puppies; Prince Chandler and his mate.*
"Prince Chandler," Danny said with a proper bow; "Lady Chandler."
"Lord Green," they replied as the Warlord trotted off after his four-legged friend.
*We are not getting them Sceltie for Winsol,* Darien informed him on a private thread as Ashley and Sam watched the kindred disappear.
Tom would have agreed based on the stories he'd heard about the kindred. But because of the stories he'd heard, he knew in the end the choice wouldn't be up to them, and wisely kept his mouth shut, letting his wife believe what she needed to.
*Tom,* Mike contacted him on a spear thread, *Lady Debra approaches.*
"All right you two, its top side again," Tom called before Ashley and Sam could scurry away.
"But," Ashley tried to wheedle out a few more minutes.
"No more, duty calls," Tom said firmly.
They said their goodbyes at the edge of the dock, as there would be no time after this final meeting with the Queen. He kissed his children and held them tight, promising presents and stories to be told when he returned. Then they ran off, having spotted some friends.
"I have something for you," Darien said with a small smile, holding out a thin package; "Something for you to remember me by while you're away."
"Really, what is it?" Tom brought it up to his ear to shake, but Darien pulled his arm down.
"You'll see, but don't open it here. Wait until later."
"All right. I love you," Tom pulled her in for a kiss after vanishing the gift.
"I love you," Darien replied and kissed him again before letting him go; "May the Darkness protect you."
She did not ask him to return to her, to them. Because she understood that as a Warlord Prince, he would die to defend his Queen and land and family. Life was not a promise he could guarantee and neither of them were foolish enough to believe otherwise. Another kiss, a promise of love, and then she was gone, after their children, while Tom headed for the Queen.
Mike joined Tom on the way to Queen Debra, so that they could intercept her before she reached the docks. Because of their connection to the land as its caretakers, many of the Blood were not comfortable with sea travel for long periods of time. As the most connected to the land, Queens felt the worst of all when they attempted to travel over water for any time period. For the most part, sea voyages were unnecessary thanks to the Webs, the psychic paths through the Darkness that covered the land and allowed for quick travel for anyone with a Jewel or the money to pay for passage.
However there were some islands, like the Antar Isles, where the Webs did not reach and could only be reached by ship. And it was to the Antar Isles the Nathan James would soon be heading with its crew and two unknown passengers.
They caught Queen Debra and her escorts in the courtyard that sat just beyond the docks. Queen Debra took one look behind them and smiled indulgently at their protectiveness of her. Her escorts, her Master of the Guard, Warlord Prince Graeton, and First Circle Warlord Briar, gave nods of approval behind her back.
"Prince Chandler, Prince Slattery," Queen Debra greeted them and they bowed; "I hear everything is going as it should, that you will be ready to set out within the hour."
"Yes Lady Debra, we are," Tom answered.
"Very good. I'd like to introduce you to your guests on this voyage," Queen Debra held out a hand and the woman and man at the back of her party stepped forward; "This is Lady Rachel Scott and her escort Lord Quincy Tophet."
Tom and Mike had of course noticed the unfamiliar witch and male the moment they joined the group. But because the two were with the Queen and her escorts, neither Warlord Prince had challenged the presence of the man or paid too close of attention to the obvious guests of the Court. Now though they conducted quick but thorough assessments of the would-be passengers on the Nathan James.
Lord Tophet was a sandy-haired with a bookish look about him. He was a Purple Dusk Warlord and that meant he'd be more mild-mannered and less temperamental than a Warlord Prince, but there would still be some interesting pissing contests in the future. He didn't have the build of a warrior, which probably meant he had no more fighting skills than the basics taught in court training. However the look in his eyes said he'd defend and protect with everything in him when the time came. As such Tom figured they'd get along fine.
The dark-haired Lady Scott, on the other hand, had Tom's nerves tingling. She wasn't a danger or a threat, of that he was certain, but there was something off about her, as if he was missing something very important. But then Lady Scott was a Black Widow, one of the Hourglass Craft, who walked the Twisted Kingdom of madness, wove tangled webs of dreams and visions, and was well-practiced in the art of poisons. Her caste was always a bit unsettling and as the hourglass pendent with the gold dust in the bottom indicated, she had completed her training which made her a very dangerous witch to cross. The fact that she wore Sapphire Jewels meant they were equals in both caste and jewels, so dealing with her could be a hassle if she proved to be prickly and stubborn.
"Lady Scott, Lord Tophet this is Prince Chandler, the captain of the Nathan James, and Prince Slattery, his second-in-command. They will take care of you on your journey to the Antar Isles and do their best to help you retrieve the Primora, if any can be found," Lady Debra finished the introduction, sounding a bit strained.
"It is a pleasure to meet you," Lady Rachel said with a bow respectful of her rank, then turned to Debra; "Have faith Sister, we will find the Primora."
Amerik Territory was known for its many accents in the Common Tongue, but the lilt to Lady Rachel's voice did not belong to an Amerikan. Having served on ships for most of his adult life, Tom had encountered many accents from Amerik and several other territories that lived on the west side of the Milky Way Mountains. As such he recognized Rachel and Quincy as Brytol Territory Blood, having fought alongside the Bryts before while at sea.
It didn't sit right with him that this was the first time he was learning about the identities of the Nathan James' passengers. When Lady Debra's Master of the Guard and Steward had picked him for this assignment, they'd said it was a straightforward mission. The Antar Isles contained a plant long died out on the main land, several Healers needed the Primora for more complicated brews, and so the Nathan James was to take a witch and her escort to the Isles to find this plant and bring it home for the Healers to use. The fact the witch was a Black Widow and she and her escort were from the neighboring territory was not straightforward. But Tom would not challenge his Queen, he would serve.
"May the Darkness embrace you on your journey," Lady Debra indicated an end to her part in the conversation.
Then Debra and Warlord Briar left the group. Prince Graeton stayed, giving Tom a tap on a spear thread signaling him to step aside for a private conversation. Tom sent Mike a message, telling him to take their guests to the Nathan James.
"Do the two of you have everything you need?" Mike asked as Graeton led Tom a little ways away.
"We've been picking up chatter that the Ruskan pirates have developed a way to track com stat signals," Graeton went straight for the point in his usual gruff manner; "As the currents to the Isles are dangerous enough, you're to stay off com stat until you reach them, understood?"
"Of course Prince Graeton," Tom replied, bristling internally while Graeton gave him a knowing look.
"This mission is important Tom. The Lady wouldn't be sending her best if it wasn't. Come back as quick as you can and may the Darkness watch over you."
Tom could only nod, too busy leashing his temper which had risen at the undercurrents of Graeton's words. There was immense danger lurking behind the secrets Lady Debra and her First Circle seemed determined to keep and Tom had a sinking feeling he was not going to like the answers when the truth came out.
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Copyright belongs to Anne Bishop:
Jewels: (The darker the Jewel, the more power one has.)
White, Yellow, Tiger Eye, Rose, Summer-sky, Purple Dusk, Opal*, Green, Sapphire, Red, Gray, Ebon-gray, Black
*Opal is the dividing line between lighter and darker Jewels because it can be either.
When making the Offering to the Darkness, a person can descend a maximum of three ranks from his/her Birthright Jewel.
Example: Birthright White can descend to Rose.
Blood Hierarchy/ Castes:
Males: landen - non-Blood of any race; Blood male - a general term for all males of the Blood, also refers to any Blood male who doesn't wear Jewels; Warlord - a Jeweled male equal in status to a witch; Prince - a Jeweled male equal in status to a Priestess or a Healer; Warlord Prince - a dangerous, extremely aggressive Jeweled male, in status, slightly lower than a Queen.
Females: landen - non-Blood of any race; Blood female - a general term for all females of the Blood, mostly refers to any Blood female who doesn't wear Jewels; witch - a Blood female who wears Jewels but isn't one of the other hierarchical levels, also refers to any Jeweled female; Healer - a witch who heals physical wounds and illnesses; Priestess - a witch who cares for alters, witnesses handfasts and marriages, and preforms offerings; Black Widow - a witch who heals the mind, weaves the tangled webs of dreams and visions, and is trained in illusions and poisons; Queen - a witch who rules the Blood, is considered to be the land's heart and the Blood's moral center, as such, she is the focal point of their society.