Chapter 3

"You bloody idiot! How could you be so stupid?! We're of the same blood, yet sometimes I must wonder." Thayet glared at Luke from across the canoe they were sharing with the dark–haired girl. She'd been bound and gagged, and unceremoniously dumped in the middle of the canoe.

Luke found himself wishing to do the same to Thayet. She'd been yelling at him ever since they'd given Motti the slip at the docks.

He sighed. "Perhaps you've failed to realize that if I hadn't brought the girl, Motti would've had no qualms about shooting us!" His voice oozed with sarcasm.

This, however, only succeeded in making Thayet angrier.

"Don't use that tone with me, boy! Think, boy! Think! What do you propose we do with her when we get to court?"

Luke turned. "Look, as much as I hate to admit it, it won't take long for Motti to find us. We might as well have some sort of bargaining chip."

"Bargaining chip?" Thayet stared at him dubiously.

"Yes. Bargaining chip. When said admiral agrees, we abandon our court in bloody Isla de Casa, and leave the girl at some abandoned island. "

Thayet narrowed her eyes, "Do you know how risky that is? You've got a brain up there. Use it!"

"Look, I haven't figured out all the details, but I know we'll come up with something. We always do."

Thayet sighed. "Oh, I don't know, Luke. I'm just so anxious to get home!"

"I know, dearie. And we'll be home soon."

A snicker interrupted the rare moment.

Luke turned. "Oh, so . . . about the girl."

Thayet shrugged, "I suppose we could untie her."

The girl spit out the gag and smiled mockingly. "Actually, I untied myself almost a quarter of an hour ago. Quite a weak knot, if you ask me."

Being the one who'd tied it, Luke looked chagrined. "Yes, well, nobody did ask you."


Edward Dalor angrily paced back and forth inside the parlor of his home.

Hang the Royal Navy! Hang the idiot admiral who allowed criminals to kidnap his daughter!

"Sir, I really think you're blowing this way out of proportion. We'll have your daughter back in no time."

Edward gritted his teeth and turned to the admiral, "For your sake, Motti, I hope so. . ."


Eyes as big as saucers, Rori took in her surroundings.

Reflecting, the sky, the water was a beautiful, clear blue. The air smelled of a crisp, freshness. Well–muscled men with dirty faces worked tirelessly, stopping only but a moment to salute the passengers aboard the canoe.

Now, they were inside the cave.

Raucous chatter subsided. Luke stepped out of the canoe (slightly grimacing when he realized the cuffs of his breeches were now sloshing wet), and gallantly offered his hand to Thayet. Once she was safely on land, in turn, he gave his hand to Rori.

She didn't take it.

A tall, handsome man was sitting on a table, surrounded by several ruff-looking men. He rose stiffly.

The woman who'd been in the canoe, however, was much less formal. She ran in to his arms without some much as a word.


Rori was feeling awkward. Quite awkward. They'd all seemingly forgotten about her. Now seated round the big table, they'd begun to talk of things she didn't understand. And, in fact, probably never would. Something about a "traitor" and "bad business."

She decided to take a quick walk around the cave. Promising herself not to go far, she began to softly make her way past the suspicious-looking men.

Unnoticed was the young man who silently slipped away from the table and began following her.

"'Ello."

Startled, Rori quickly turned around. The boy was following her again.

Hoping he'd take a hint before something awful spilled out of her tongue, she scowled in his direction.

Sadly, it didn't work.

"Who do you bloody think you are?! You're despicable! When my father finds out about this–and I assure you, he will. You'll all be . . . you'll all be executed!" She stopped momentarily to compose herself. "I don't see why you take it upon yourselves to murder and steal just for the sake of it! And don't tell me it isn't true! I've seen them–pirates. Back home, they'd come with their canons and swords–murdering, stealing, and destroying." Sighing, she sat down against the wall of the cave. "I was in the commonplace once, during a raid. It was horrible! I saw a little boy, barely a few years old. He was sobbing, and frantically calling his mother. I tried to reach him, but there was this terribly ugly one. You know what he did?! The vermin pushed me aside, grabbed the child, and took him to the ship. Probably sold him to slave traders, too." Suddenly, she jumped to her feet, and slapped Luke. Hard. "How could you be so bloody heartless?!"

Luke grimaced, and hesitantly touched his cheek. It stung, quite painfully. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong, love. You can call a pirate a lot of things, but heartless? That's just not one of them." He bit his lip and thought for a moment. "Well, maybe it is for some, but not for me. I don't do it just for the money–only a small part of it, perhaps. But why?" He frowned. "The world isn't the same as it used to be, luv. People become power hungry, and in their pursuit to rise to the top, often neglect us, the lower class. The rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. In fact, where do you think we'd be if not for piracy. Would we have a chance to make a proper living in your neat and perfect world?"


His Royal Majesty, King Rhett of Pirate's Court, also know as the Rogue, gallantly made his way down to the training yard. In all honesty, though, it couldn't really be called a "training yard" it was more like a secluded area of the caves.

"You don't look well."

Rhett smiled at the elderly man who had joined him. Despite his haggard, sagging features and snow-white hair, one could never underestimate Bellamy. He'd been in the court ever since Rhett was a child, and even had been with his father. Time had made the man a silent, deadly assassin.

"In all honesty, I don't feel so well. These problems have been weighing on my mind, for quite some time now."

Bellamy nodded, "You've told Luke, then?"

"No. I haven't had time, yet. He's also run off with that girl." Rhett sighed. "And whatever are we to do with her, anyway. It's not as if we can just keep her here until the Navy comes knocking on our door."

"Perhaps, someone could . . . dispose of the problem."

Rhett shook his head, "That wouldn't work either. We'd just give them more incentive to come after us. Oh bloody, might as well keep her here if we'll be needing to have some leverage–Finally. We're here. Long walk, eh?"

The training yard wasn't magnificent. In fact, it wasn't even decent. Thoroughly beaten archery targets stood against one wall of the cave, while a large bundle of rubbishy-made swords were carelessly thrown on the floor. A handful of men were strewn about the room.

"Oi, sire!" Levi called. Levi was a jolly sort; in all predicaments he somehow managed to keep his buoyant good-humor alive. His gargantuan belly also testified to his proclivity of food. "En garde!"


Darkness was closing in. A severe chill was gnawing on Rori's bones, but she didn't care.

"And that's when the bloody commodore ordered his men to clap me in irons!"

Rori's eyes widened. "So what did you do?"

Luke nodded. "Well, I'll tell you what I did – "

Someone cleared their throat.

"Ah . . . Luke, His Majesty be wantin' a word with ye."

A grimy middle aged man tottered toward them. A half-empty bottle of rum was in his hands. "He, eh, said it was mighty urgent."

"Of course. Miss Dalor, may I introduce you to Mullet, our best man in these parts. Mullet this is Miss Dalor . . . She's a . . . guest of Their Majesties."


"What do you bloody mean?!"

"I meant exactly what I said, Luke. There's an uprising. Someone wants control, and their going as far as to attack men they know are loyal to me."

Luke rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Tell me again what happened in Port Lordlier."

"They attacked Riley and his group. Almost all dead."

"Almost all?"

"Yes. There's one man left, but they don't expect him to live through tomorrow."

For once Luke seemed devoid of a witty remark. "You want me to go, then."

"Yes."

"Oh."

Rhett licked his lips, "And there's the business of that girl."

"Yes, there is."

"What do you propose to do with her?"

"I don't know," Luke admitted, "It just seemed to be a good idea to take her along at the time."

"A good idea?" Rhett sounded incredulous.

"As leverage against the admiral."

"Really? And do you suppose that once we've returned the girl, he won't decide to break his promise of a full pardon."

"I haven't quite figured that out, yet."

Rhett scowled, "Let's just figure out this whole business with the traitors – whoever they may be, then cross that bridge when we come to it."

"That's the first good idea you've had all evening."

"Now, we just have to get someone down to Port Lordlier."

"I suppose that would be me."

"Aye."

"But, Rhett. How do you know it was one of ours who killed them?

"One. Only the most trusted knew that Riley would be in Port Lordlier. Two. They left behind this." Rhett lifted up a silvery talisman. "These pretty trinkets only belong to pirates. Good pirates."

"But I don't have one."


Bloody! Rori knew she wasn't meant to hear their conversation, but ever since she'd been a child, she always had a knack for eavesdropping. Though, she doubted they'd see that as a plausible excuse.

She hurried back to the place Luke had left her at.

A pirate war? Good Lord! What was going to happen to her?