Previously, on Pirates In Love...
With the matter cleared up, everyone started to go off and work on their own duties. Eduardo wanted to piece together the map and restore it. Morgan wanted to drink. The rest started to walk away. I looked at Thomas and Morgan. I looked at Russell. I reached out a hand, about to speak out, but I didn't know who to call out to. Should I make sure Russell is okay? What about Eduardo, Thomas, Nathan? Everyone is so cold and tense. Should I tell them both about Prica Island right now? Should I tell Thomas later tonight? Should I tell Morgan first? He is the Captain…
Who should I go to… Who needs me the most right now?
I cause so much trouble around here, I have to do something.
But I didn't know what to do.
I decided to sleep and do something about it all tomorrow. But before sleep, I needed food. I hadn't eaten all day having been stuck in jail. I asked Nate to make something for me. He and I hung out in the mess hall. Even though Russell had also not eaten, he didn't come for any food. It made me feel even worse. I poked at my soba noodles.
Nathan - "Thought ya were hungry?"
Alex - "I am… I'm starved…"
Nathan poked my cheek. "What is it?"
I wanted to help out on the ship while I was here, waiting to be returned home. But now the prospect of home was lost. And now I felt like I was doing more harm to the crew by just existing. And I might cause another problem once I told the crew about Prica Island. I just wanted to be comfortable… I just wanted to find a place to call 'home'.
Nathan - "Ya wanna go home, still, eh?"
Alex - "... How can you tell?"
Nathan - "I just can…"
Alex - "Not like I can anymore… They'd throw me in jail since I've been here so long..."
Nathan - "Then we'd just break ya out like we just did for you n' Russell."
He kind of made me smile. "The navy would just find me again. I don't belong with you guys either... I should go back… er, home." The word felt alien to me now. "and just deal with the consequences."
Nathan - "... Ya know if ya left we'd hunt ya down and bring ya back."
I looked up at him, confused. "Why? Don't you guys just wanna get me off this boat?"
Nathan laughed. "Ya haven't figured out at this point that none of us wanna let ya go?... Unless ya just don't like us…"
Alex - "Well… You guys can be a lil' scary sometimes, but… I like you." I smiled, thinking about all the little adventures I had with them. "I know you guys will look out for me… and… protect me..."
I was a little alarmed at coming to that realization. But it was true. Over the past couple of months, everyone had warmed up to me in one way or another. Everyone had my back. Even Nathan, who hardly used to speak to me, was now comforting me. And I really did care for the crew whether I liked it or not. Maybe this tension will blow over once all the truth is out.
Every time I thought about Yamato, I thought I felt that I wanted to go back to my life the way it should be. I thought I wanted the routine, the ease, the simplicity, the boredom. But at every exciting turn, every unexpected moment, I thanked my lucky stars that I landed on this ship and was whisked away from that monotonous lifestyle. I needed to check up on Charlie for sure, but being his baking assistant was not what I wanted to do anymore. This life was far more exciting, far more worth the trouble.
Alex - "I don't wanna go home. Not yet." I looked at Nathan, a stern expression on my face. "We've got a treasure to find first."
Nathan smiled and stood up. "Sleep. Ya been through a lot today." He walked towards the door.
Alex - "Nathan?"
He stopped and looked back. I honestly didn't know what I was going to say. I wanted him to stay for a bit longer. I ended up just staring at him. He smiled, then left. I ate the rest of my food, starting to feel better already. I had made up my mind about Prica Island.
Over the next few days, Morgan and Eduardo were occupied with the maps. Even though Morgan didn't know exactly where to go, he wanted to head to the Reiz Empire. Eduardo wasn't done deciphering his own map pieces, so that was our bearing. There was a lot to do around the ship anyway, to prepare for the long journey to the Reiz empire. And we'd end up drinking almost every night, Morgan was so excited about having found the map. I sang for them a lot, and they'd try and sing along with me. They'd occasionally sing their own rough sea shanties. It was fun to listen to them, and Christopher was always out of tune. With everyone being drunk so often, I couldn't find an opportunity to tell both Morgan and Thomas about Prica Island. Thomas kept going to bed early anyway. He joked that it was too much beer putting him to sleep early. And no one was ever in the same place at the same time, not even in the mess hall. I was getting antsy.
One day, we all met in the mess hall. Eduardo and Morgan had finally come out of hiding to reveal their findings. This was my chance to tell them about Prica Island! Eduardo was standing at the table and spreading out the Ullr map.
Eduardo - "It's taking me a while to complete it. Some of the parts are very worn out, others I can't hope to restore. I have figured out that part of it is in the Reiz empire." He pointed at a section of water that had a faded symbol on it. "I'm not familiar with the islands in Reiz… it'll take some time to figure out what area of the world this map depicts."
The Reiz. Maybe I can… "Um, Captain!"
Morgan - "We're heading to the Reiz anyway, we'll grab a reference map."
Christopher - "Where though? We get too close to the wrong shoreline and their military will be on us faster than a kingfisher."
Russell - "That's neva been a problem fer us before."
Thomas - "The Reiz are very strict about pirates though…"
Christopher - "Unlike Moldor, they have a zero tolerance rule for pirates. It's shoot to kill and the bounties are high, even for men like us who probably aren't known in the Reiz. We can't just bust in, Russell."
Russell - "Dammit."
Alex - "There is one island we can go to first."
Everyone looked at me.
Eduardo - "What could you know that we don't?"
Alex - "I didn't know who to tell about this… but there's an island that borders Moldor and Reiz which might be a safer place to stop. The merchant in Moldor… he mentioned that there's rumours of maps and treasure hidden on the island since it used to be a place a lot of people passed through."
I looked at Thomas. He had a frightened expression on his face. I hoped I was making the right choice…
Morgan - "What's it called?"
Alex - "Prica Island."
Morgan stroked his chin. "Hmm… You said the merchant told you this?"
Nathan - "Ain't he a lyin' bastard?"
Morgan - "Yes, which is why I'm questioning his information."
I felt a little embarrassed since I believed the merchant's words so wholeheartedly. "Uh, yeah, the merchant is the one who told me…"
Thomas - "We should go there." Everyone looked at Thomas in surprise. "Even if it's not there, the island is abandoned now. There shouldn't be any Reiz military patrolling the place. We can stop and regroup, get our bearings before heading straight into Reiz."
Morgan - "... Are you sure? You wanna go back to your alma mater?"
Thomas - "... Yes I'm sure."
Morgan slapped his thigh. "It's a start! Eduardo, point us to Prica Island!"
Thomas… I was glad that he was okay with it, even encouraging it. I still couldn't help but feel bad. He hasn't been back since he had to bury his parents… I wanted to go and talk to him, but he'd always cough and say he had somewhere to go, or something to do. He was avoiding me. I decided to give him his space.
One week later, we stopped at a port city island to restock. Prica Island was still another week away. I helped Nathan with groceries, then went off on my own to look at the market wares. I hummed to myself as I browsed the various goods. I found a cobbler selling some boots. After buying a pair to replace my own worn out shoes, I continued down the market. There was a stall with soaps and creams. I looked down at my own calloused hands. They were weathered and cracked from all the seawater and rope that slid through them on a daily basis. There was no use in trying to take care of them with the work I did. I rubbed my hands, embarrassed at how unladylike they'd become. My eyes fell on a leather stand. I went to the vendor and picked up a pair of fingerless gloves. The merchant was surprised that I wanted them, but he sold them to me. He stared at me as I walked away. So what if my hands looked like a man's. I can just hide them. I found a window down a ways and looked at my reflection. With my bandana, shorts, half-shirt, ankle boots, and gloves I thought I looked pretty badass.
I looked back down the street. Christopher and Eduardo were arguing over something. It was funny to watch the crew interact. They were a band of grown men that sometimes would act so childish, especially when they were drunk. And god knows if they sobered up from last night at all. I started to head back when someone stepped in my way.
Man - "Hey there, girl."
Alex - "..."
He looked over his shoulder. "You with those gentlemen over there?"
Alex - "Who's asking?"
The man laughed. "Cheeky! As expected."
As expected? Does he know me? "Can I help you?"
Man - "Maybe. What's your name?"
Alex - "I asked you first."
Man - "Oh, where are my manners. My name's Daniel. Yours?"
I wondered if I should give him my real name. "Yeah, I'm not giving you my name 'till I know what you want."
Man - "What I want? Just a chat! Come walk with me."
Alex - "No."
I tried to walk past him but he grabbed my arm and pushed me back. I drew my dagger, but before I could make a move two more men grabbed my arms. I was about to scream when yet another man came up from behind and gagged me with a rag. I struggled, scratching and kicking, but it was hopeless. They threw a bag over my head, bound my wrists, and dragged me away. It all happened in a split second.
I knew we were on a boat. I could hear the water when we neared the port, felt the hollow thumping of my feet on the gangplank, then the gentle swaying of a docked boat. I stumbled down stairs before being thrown into a corner. Someone whipped the bag off my head. My eyes adjusted to the dim light and I could see three men in front of me. I struggled against my bonds. They laughed.
Daniel - "It's no use, sweetheart, you best just stay put."
Man 1 - "Ya know, I thought she'd be better lookin' than this, considering what the legends say."
Man 2 - "Haha, she ain't no goddess. Bet she'd still be a nice lay." He leered at me.
Daniel - "Any of you touch her, and the deal's off. He wants her back as is."
Man 2 - "Come on, just a little bit."
BAM!
Daniel had punched the guy in the face. "Hands off! Scrubbin' duty, now."
The man grumbled and walked away. Daniel jerked his head at the other man and he scurried up the stairs. He kneeled in front of me and touched my cheek. I flinched away and yelled at him, but my curses were muffled by the gag. He hit me across the face.
Daniel - "Shut it, there's no way that's coming off, sweetheart. Like I'd let you holler and risk you manipulating my men, too."
He left me and swung a door shut behind him. It was pitch black. I could hear footsteps above me and the sounds of rigging and sails ruffling. I panicked. They're leaving port. They're leaving port and the crew doesn't know I'm gone. How far will I be before they realize? Will they even bother to come and get me? I really hoped they would, but I still wasn't sure that what Nathan had said was true to this extent. That they would save me from… who are these people anyway? And why are they acting like they know me?
I needed to figure out how to escape on my own. What would Russell do? He would probably try and find something sharp to get rid of these bondages. They took my weapons, so I couldn't use those… I couldn't see a thing down here, and when there was light I didn't see much in this hull. Maybe I should wait until another man comes down, and I can take his weapon. That would mean I need mobility. My hands were tied behind my back, but it was easy to bring them back in front of me. The gag was so tight I thought the corners of my mouth were splitting. I tried to untie it with my hands, but the knot wouldn't budge. They'd done a damn good job.
The door opened and a man came down with a lantern. I stopped and hid my hands, trying to look like I was still bound the way they had me. He came over, dragging a crate, then sat down on it. He wasn't even paying attention to me. I could see the glint of a hilt on his waste. He bent over to put the lantern down…
I propped myself up on my toes and launched myself at him, knocking him over. I unsheathed his weapon, waving it wildly. He got up and backed away. I quickly cut the bindings on my ankles and face, slicing my cheek by accident. The man yelled out for reinforcements. I held the sword with both hands, pointing it at the extra men who came in. One of them was Daniel.
Daniel - "How did this happen? How'd she get your weapon when she was bound from fucking head to toe?"
Man - "I wasn't expectin' no pirate on board, jus some weak woman ya wanna capture -"
Daniel - "Useless!" He hit the guy upside his head, then turned his attention towards me. "What do you think you're going to do with that, against all of us?"
I stood there, feet planted squarely on the ground, but I was shaking. My eyes scanned the room wildly. My breathing was laboured.
Alex - "Everything. Anything I can." One of the men took a step towards me. "Don't!" I screamed. "Don't come any closer!"
Daniel held a hand up. He mumbled under his breath, "Don't act rash, boys. Don't make 'er scream."
He spoke so softly I was surprised I heard it. He was acting cautious now. As if he was… afraid.
Random Man - "Who the fuck do we have on this boat, Dan?" His lips were barely moving, yet I knew what he said. So they don't all know who I am?
Daniel - "We need to get her gagged before she gets any bright ideas."
Alex - Bright ideas… "Scream, huh? You afraid someone'll hear me?"
Daniel - "No, don't! -"
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. He reached up to cover his ears, his eyes popping wide with fear. I sucked in more air than I thought I could, and when I let it out, it was unlike anything I'd heard before. It was so loud, so high pitched. It felt like I was forcing air through a pinhole, but it released from that pinhole in a devilish fury, a nonstop auditory attack. I could feel the air around me vibrating, the wooden structure of the ship was shaking. Soon I couldn't hear a thing except for the high pitched whine of my voice, like a ringing in my ears. It was like I'd gone deaf. When I finally stopped, I opened my eyes to see all the men holding their heads. My hearing returned instantly. Some were on the ground writhing in pain. I didn't understand what had happened. I didn't need to right now. I ran past them while they were struggling, went up the stairs, and onto the deck.
I ran up to the railing. The ship was exiting the bay, but some of the ropes were still on the dock. Whoever was reeling them in had stopped. The ship had started to turn, as if someone had stopped steering and it was now just following the waves. We were bound to hit something, what with still being in the port. I looked around the boat to see the men on deck also holding their heads, many struggling to stay standing. What is going on? I looked back. I couldn't jump down, the dock was too far.
Daniel appeared at the top of the stairs. "You bitch!"
"Take me ba -" My voice was hoarse. It hurt my throat to talk. I put a hand to my neck, surprised.
Daniel - "Heheheh! Looks like you only got one good scream in ya."
Alex - "What the hell are you talkin' 'bout?!" My voice came out raspy.
Daniel - "Don't play dumb with me. You know what you are."
Alex - "What I am? The hell does that mean?! What the fuck do you want?"
Daniel - "Urgh, you're more of a pain in the ass than I thought ya'd be. May as well just throw ya in the ocean where ya belong."
Daniel stumbled towards me. He couldn't keep his balance. He kept holding one side of his head. Did I do that? Did I hurt them? The men on the boat were regaining their stability. If I were to escape, it would be now, before it's too late.
A sickle sword stabbed into the railing beside me. I would've yelped if I had any bit of voice left. The chain attached to it rattled, then Nathan's head popped over the railing.
Alex - "Nate!" I could only mouth his name.
Nathan - "Alex? What're ya doin just standin' there, come on!"
He took me by the waist and jumped off, grabbing a rope to swing him onto the dock. The rest of the crew had taken care of the men untying the ropes to the ship. Christopher clutched my shoulders.
Christopher - "You're hurt…"
Morgan - "You can take care of her later, Doc, let's go!"
We ran back to the Sirius, the men on the ship yelling at us. I could have sworn I heard Daniel's voice. It didn't seem the rest of the crew had, though. I could have sworn he said…
"We'll get ya, you lil bitch siren!"
Did… did he just call me a siren?
