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Chapter 3 Shipwrecked...Together.
A seagull hovered over the smooth silky water searching for food. He landed on the beach to pick at a crab but moved away. The scent of death was in the air and the gull moved off to investigate. But it was humans he found, and since they make for bad eating, the gull flew away.
Cadoresa still shivered, but Thandraug being near helped her considerably. Soon the sun gave out its first rays of light, making it easier to see the great desolation to which they had come. The air held a certain chill and smelled of dead fish and perhaps other carrion, as well as the tangy salt of the ocean. As they shivered, she noticed his breathing become less even. "Thandraug? Are you alright?" she shook him, but got no response. Soon, he stopped breathing altogether, and she realized her dear brother was dead. He had died trying to save her life. She clung to his body, sobbing hysterically. Now she was alone on an unknown island, cold, tired, hungry, and grieving.
The sun was up now, the birds singing, and Galad woke up with a dreadful headache. This had been his worst experience since that camel in Harad had bitten off a piece of his ear, then kicked him halfway across the desert. His clothing had dried a little and he stood up, blinking in the sunlight. Shaking the sand from his hair and wiping the blood off of his cut lip, he began to investigate the beach. He found a small keg of hardtack which was still dry. He rounded a corner and bent to examine a piece of driftwood when all of a sudden a rock whizzed by his head.
Cadoresa had finished her crying, then buried her brother the best she could. Gathering larger rocks to place on the grave helped to warm her up a bit, although her thick dress still felt damp. Unable to bear the thought of being near his lifeless body, she had wandered back towards the beach in hopes of finding more survivors. However, she saw one of the two corsairs she dreaded most. Unable to help herself, she had picked up a rock and thrown it at the evil man who had taken her brothers from her side and likely led to the death of Thandraug.
"If you dare come near me, I will kill you," she threatened, eyes wide and teeth practically bared at him. Picking up a large stone, she prepared to pelt him again if he made even the slightest move in her direction. That pirate was not going to get to her!
Galad raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "I am a friend," he said in Gondorian, "do not fear."
"Like I can believe a lie like that! Listen, I know what your evil intentions are, and I will have none of them. So I suggest you back off and leave me alone!" Her voice held a menacing tone in order that he would know she meant every single word. She failed to notice he used her native language, so great was her wrath towards him.
"I mean you no harm," Galad replied, losing his Umbarian accent and gaining his northern one back quickly. "Please understand me. Have you heard of Rangers?"
"Yes," she answered cautiously, still holding the stone in her hand. She was not about to trust some smelly corsair!
"I am one," he explained. "I am part of a group that is trying to destroy this slave trade. My name is Galad."
Cadoresa did not know what to think of this strange man. "That may very well be, or you could simply be a rather intelligent corsair who is trying to woo me into his wily scheme. Prove that you are truly a Ranger!" she challenged.
Galad grimaced. His clothes, papers, even his brass ring was lost in the storm. "Can you prove to me that you are Dol-Amrothian?" he shot back.
Unable to control herself any longer, she threw the rock at him as hard as she could. It hit his left shoulder as she turned and ran away down the beach, anger and grief threatening to overcome her. Dread washed over her as she realized she was alone in this world and had no idea how to survive on her own. Yes, she could cook some fish if she could get a fire going, but catching the creatures and building a heat source seemed impossible.
Galad winced as the rock slammed into his shoulder and staggered a few paces backwards. "Wait!" he shouted. He started to chase after her, almost falling on the piece driftwood that he was examining. "I'm sorry!" he called, trying to figure out what he was sorry for. "Please stop! We can figure this out! I will even give you my dagger!"
He was offering her a weapon? She halted and turned to look at him. "Place your dagger on the ground and walk back ten paces. Once it is in my hands, you may tell me what you have in mind. Do you have any other weapons I should know about?" Realizing her plight, the corsair might be her only hope for survival and finding Gwerraent.
"My knife," he answered, "but I need it." He placed the dagger on the ground and backed up. "Can we speak without violence?" he asked.
Cadoresa quickly grabbed the dagger, thoroughly enjoying its feel in her hand. For the first time, she realized how badly she had treated him. After all, he was human, even if corsairs could barely be labeled as such due to their violent and unsavory lifestyle. Taking a deep breath, she replied calmly, "I will try my best. But please, do not come any closer until we can work something out."
"Listen," Galad said. "We can both help each other. I know how to survive and I need some help knowing about this island. I need to get to Harad or my mission will fail and thousands of lives will be lost."
A huge sigh escaped her. "Alright. I suppose you are my only hope, since my brother just died. However, I am not sure exactly which island we are on. I am fairly certain it is the deserted one that civilized people would never land on. However, if we walk the shore as we talk I may be able to tell you more. I am sure you already figured out my father owned the merchant ship, and many times he would take me and my brothers with him while Mother stayed home." She continued to grip the dagger, still unsure that he harbored no vile intentions, still not quite believing his promise.
"Which one?" Galad asked, surprised at the news. "Was it the older one or the younger?" He walked slowly towards her, watching the dagger in her hand. If he hadn't been worried about his life, he would have noticed how beautiful the Dol Amrothian was.
She held the dagger up higher. "Stay where you are! How did you know about my brothers?" As much as she hated to admit it, she detected compassion in his voice and her fear of this man slowly dissipated, although she knew it would take time to trust him.
Galad stopped. This was going to be a long day. "When you were captured two of the young men called you sister. It was the younger one that I gave the key."
Eyes bulging in shock at his statement, she took a moment to speak. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered her brother did have the keys and unlocked her chains. "Thandraug was two years older than I am. He and I ended up on the same stretch of beach. I have not yet seen our oldest brother, Gwerraent. Did you really give Thandraug the keys? I did not even think about how he obtained them, I was so excited to be free and worried about the storm." As she spoke, she slowly lowered the dagger to a less threatening position.
"Was? I am truly sorry, milady. Yes I gave him the key; he seemed level-headed for one so young."
"That he was. Thank you. We were very close, since Gwerraent is seven years older than I am. I'm Cadoresa, by the way. You said you are Galad, right?" Maybe he was not a corsair; she did not think they could have that much compassion on anyone.
"Aye, I am Galad son of Cadoc. Now if you don't mind I'll catch us some breakfast if I can," Galad said.
"Please, by all means! I haven't eaten anything since before I was captured. But I think my brother would have survived had he not eaten that foul looking substance, which may have been bread at one time."
"It's amazing any of survived on that stuff," Galad grimaced.
"Can I do anything to help you?"
"Naught at the moment but don't freak out." He pulled his pants leg up and grabbed the knife strapped against his leg. After retrieving the driftwood from earlier he bound the knife handle to its end with a piece of cloth torn from his tunic. He carefully climbed up a rock that jutted out into deep water. He waited patiently before stabbing down into the water. Moments later he repeated the move then clambered down to the beach with two fine fish. "Now for a fire," he said, realizing the flint stone had been washed away.
"Thandraug and I tried to build a fire, but with everything so wet..." She cautiously drew closer to the man, ever wary of any move he might make towards her, even though he had been quite civil thus far.
"You wouldn't happen to have any flint? There may be dry wood further inland." He shouldered his makeshift spear and walked up the beach.
"No, or I would have used it before now. I'll look for some dry wood." Cadoresa bravely turned her back to him and went a short way into the woods. Finding a few dryer pieces, she carried them back to the beach.
Bending low, Galad searched the rocky ground at the foot of a low valley. Finally, when his hope was fading, a jagged flint stone peeped up from the ground. Taking it up he returned to the beach and soon lit the wood Cadoresa had found. The savory smell of fresh-caught fish filled the air.
An unladylike growl issued from Cadoresa's stomach and she blushed. "I am so hungry!" Taking a deep breath, she moved closer to him and offered her hand. "I promise not to hurt you again as long as you continue to be kind as you have been. I really should not have thrown those rocks at you. I'm sorry."
Galad took her hand and smiled, "Apology accepted. I promise not to crack a whip over your head again."
A strange sensation washed over her as she shook his hand, warm and strong, but she ignored whatever it was. Her lips turned up in a small grin, "I appreciate that!"
They settled beside each other and shared the fish. Fortunately there was a small stream nearby so they could wash down their meal. Then they walked down the beach, looking for signs of human life. After about half an hour, they finally spotted figures ahead on the beach.
"Galad, I see some people up ahead. If it is more slaves, they may not appreciate seeing you. Perhaps you should stay back and I could see if I can find my brother Gwerraent?" How she hated to admit that he had been so kind to her, and it was even worse to think she did not want him injured in a scuffle with former slaves. No, she couldn't let herself go there.
Galad nodded and slipped away. He grasped his knife, recently converted back from the spear head. It was the slaves, and they had two pirates. Even from the distance he could hear them.
"These vines will do as cords!"
"Hang them up!"
"You'll pay for all these scars!"
Cadoresa cautiously approached, dagger held tight in her hand. She called out so as not to frighten anyone. "Good day, survivors!"
They stared at her as she walked around, her gait regal and determined. Then she spotted a familiar dark head. "Gwerraent!" she cried happily and ran towards her brother. He turned and met her in a warm embrace. Clinging tightly to him, grief washed over her and they slowly sank down to the sand. "Gwerraent, I have terrible news..." she choked out.
He looked at her quizzically. "You are alive! That seems good news to me. But have you seen Thandraug? He has not come by here yet."
The tears fell hard as she clung to her only remaining brother. "That is what I need to tell you." She sobbed out the story while her oldest brother attempted to soothe her.
"You did all you could, and you still have me. Now first I need to convince these former slaves to allow the corsairs a fair trial, then we can go and meet your new friend."
Cadoresa glared at him. "He is not my friend. I simply had no one else to turn to in my utter desolation. In fact, he is one of the last people I ever expected to help me."
The two walked to where the slaves had captured the pirates, and after some time Gwerraent convinced them just to tie them up and not torture them while they formulated a better and more ethical plan.
Once that task was finished, Cadoresa led her brother to where she had left Galad. "We're back, and it should be safe for you to come out now, although we have a problem," she called.
Galad rose from the shadows near to the brother and sister, keeping his left hand concealed.
"I have heard." His voice was strange and grim. "'Tis not the first time my life has been in danger. You should go before you are caught with me."
"No!" Gwerraent insisted. "You helped my sister. It is the least we can do to see that you will not be harmed. Perhaps we can convince the slaves that you are not one of the corsairs. Despite Cadoresa's misgivings, I feel you are trustworthy. However, I cannot guarantee your safety, as much as I wish I could."
Cadoresa clung tightly to her brother's arm, still a bit wary of Galad. Taking a deep breath, she agreed with her brother. "Gwerraent is right. You did help me, and even now you are more concerned with our safety than yours. I would feel terrible doing this, but perhaps we could raid some bodies of their clothes so you could at least look more like one of us?"
Galad listened in silence but was unconvinced. "Well then since you give your trust freely I must return the favor." He revealed his left hand, that still gripped his knife, and slipped the weapon back into its sheath. "That wouldn't do, even if my appearances change they will still know my face and voice. Forget me. I have lived in far less hospitable regions than this."
Cadoresa gasped as he revealed the knife. The nerve, and she was just starting to trust him too! Well, if he ever wanted her to fully trust him, he'd certainly have to prove his worth. Glaring pointedly at him, she hissed, "I would gladly forget you, if your cruel face wasn't already so deeply embedded into the darkest portals of my mind!" Flames blazed from her eyes as she turned and briskly strode away, leaving both men staring after her in shock.
Appalled at Cadoresa's outburst, Gwerraent turned to his companion. "I apologize for the dreadfully rude behavior of my sister. I know she and Thandraug were very close, pretty much best friends, and his death has taken its toll on her. She's normally sweet, albeit she can be rather exasperating at times, as all younger siblings are."
"There is no need. Death is a hard blow to all." Galad slipped into the small wood, his sea-stained tunic blending in well. Soon he was lost to sight.