They returned to the ships at dusk, and the sun, like a ball of fire, had dropped over the horizon to make way for the first starry night they had ever seen. The stars were like thousands of brilliant pearls suspended in the sky, a mantle that changed color, first from red to purple and then to a dark blue to black. Not even Harriet protested for the moment they took to admire this.
Would it be even more beautiful out there? Uma had never wanted freedom more strongly. She wanted to see her people free, she wanted to be free to go wherever she wanted. Harry would know how to navigate the sea with the stars if he had seen them before, she thought, as she watched him avidly search the sky. She saw him smile and then he turned to her.
"You are all sea," he said in a low voice, so that no one else would hear, "even your eyes shine like the stars when they are reflected in the waves."
"You're soft, Hook," she teased, elbowing him in the arm, but Harry laughed that maniacal laugh of his and Uma hugged him, jamming her fingers into the waistband of his ripped jeans. Then she became serious, and Harry thought he saw anguish in her pretty brown eyes. "If we never manage to break down the barrier, at least let's live here."
Harry shook his head.
"We'll bring it down. There's nothing you can't do, Uma. Have you seen the way your people look at you? The loyalty the crew have to you and the respect you have earned on the isle? If anyone can free us all, it is you."
Uma laughed a bit bitterly.
"Loyalty and respect can be lost easier than they are earned."
Harry glanced out onto the deck, where they were all very busy watching the wonder spread out before them.
"I have a feeling you chose a good crew, Captain. And you have a first mate who would follow you to death and back to life. Isn't that more than anyone on the island has?"
She had to admit that he was right. It was even more than Mal ever had on the Isle of the Lost. Love was easy to find in Auradon, where everyone was full of promises and dreams; but on the isle, where everyone had more scars than they could count, where each day could be the last, and people were torn between hoping that it really was and surviving, having found love was like having found the most precious of treasures. Finding a crew that she had started calling family only in her mind was also more than Uma could have asked for.
"Yes, it's a good crew, but don't ever tell them. They will think they no longer have to impress me." She smiled when she saw that the crew had already started to work again, all giving their best in every little thing they did. "Enough softness for now. Weigh anchor, tell Gil to take the rudder and I want Bonny at the Crow's nest tonight. The rest of the crew can rest once they have finished their jobs."
Harry nodded.
"Yes, captain." Then he turned to the crew. "Weigh anchor, drop sails! Gil, Captain Uma wants you at the helm!"
He didn't have to say it twice. The Lost Revenge continued its course, with The Red Tempest at her side, and they drifted away from the islet.
As beautiful as the night had been, suddenly the sky was filled with clouds and lightning struck the horizon like heavenly whips. The swell rose and the wind blew furiously, as if it wanted to bring down the ships.
"I don't like this at all," said Harry, frowning. They were in the stern, on the balcony of the captain's cabin, and from there they could perfectly see the sea churning more and more. Harry knew from the stories of his father that the sea could change in a second, and that small waves could turn into mountains in a matter of minutes. Uma seemed drawn by the impending storm, her body was tense, and she was leaning towards the railing, as if she was preparing to jump into the sea. The water was calling to her and Harry thought she looked beautiful with her blue-green braids flapping in the gale and her skin lit up by the lightnings. Like a sea goddess of storms, like the queen of the sea.
"Take Gil's place at the rudder," she ordered.
Lightning sliced through the sky and Uma laughed when she felt the first drops of rain on her face. She seemed absolutely delighted. Harry gasped for a second before he remembered that he had to go on deck. By the time he left the lower deck, the storm had already broken down on them and the sky looked like it was going to fall as the waves grew higher and higher.
Gil did seem a little scared, although he tried not to let anyone notice. He visibly relaxed when Harry took the rudder.
"Drop all the sails! Secure the rigging!" Uma yelled to the crew. She had just arrived on deck and it seemed to Harry that she looked more intimidating than ever. She didn't seem the least bit scared, not even uneasy. She was all haughty and powerful, and Harry wanted to laugh because suddenly the storm certainly didn't seem that dangerous.
The crew began to work, but in a second everything had become ten times more complicated. The waves crashed against the ship and the water poured over the railing, so it was practically impossible to stand on the upper deck. Harry noticed that the rudder was heavier, and he had to exert twice as much effort to move it. The sound of thunder was ten times louder than that of waves. All that not to mention the rain that fell on them, practically preventing them from seeing anything. However, Harry managed to see Uma and Jonas up on the ratchet mast, loosening the moorings from the sail. He was not reassured until he saw them come down on deck, and then a large wave hit the bow and drenched them from head to toe.
In The Red Tempest they were in no better circumstances. Harry could see Harriet straining at the rudder, but she looked scared, something he didn't think he would ever see. The situation must be really bad if one of the fiercest girls on the isle was afraid.
"Uma!" Harry called. She moved across the deck holding on to the ropes. The Revenge rode a wave and then crashed down. "Are you okay?"
"Yes!" She yelled.
"I must help Harriet; she looks like she won't hold out long!"
They both looked in the direction of The Tempest. CJ was trying to help her sister, and they could barely keep the rudder from coming loose. If they lost control, they could be shipwrecked. The crew was also adjusting the sails, securing the deck. They did not seem to realize that the captain of the ship was having serious problems.
"Do you have a plan?" Asked Uma. A blast of freezing rain splashed their faces.
Harry nodded.
"I need us to get The Revenge as close to The Tempest as possible, I'll try to board the ship." His blue eyes asked her to trust him, and Uma didn't hesitate for a second. She put both hands on the rudder so Harry could release it. "You have it?"
You'll be fine? He wanted to ask. The first time they sailed, Uma didn't know much about ships. But now, she seemed confident. Her body was stronger than it seemed, and the rudder was no problem for her. She gave Harry a bright, crazy smile and laughed.
"We ride with the tide, Harry! You forgot it?"
Harry laughed too.
"Of course not!"
Uma turned the rudder, and the ship began to approach the Tempest. It was a difficult maneuver, any little slip and she could end up causing the two ships to collide; however, she kept the Revenge in her place and Harry saw the opportunity to board his sister's ship. He grabbed one of the ropes dangling from the sails, tugged hard to make sure it was securely tied, and climbed onto the railing.
Before launching into The Tempest, Harry glanced back to where Uma was at the rudder. She was wet to the bone, but her gaze shone with courage and a longing for freedom, confidence, and strength. She seemed so much bigger than she really was, and he felt his heart pound at the image. And then he thought that Uma didn't just look like the captain of a ship, but that she looked like a Pirate Queen, free and fierce.
As he launched himself toward the other ship, hanging only by a rope over the stormy sea, he felt his stomach spin. The feeling of the cold wind hitting his face and the waves trying to reach him made him feel free, and it was curious how much the feeling was like what he felt when he was with Uma. She truly was the sea.
Harriet stared at him in disbelief as he landed, half falling on the deck of The Red Tempest.
"How the hell did you do that?" CJ yelled at him. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!"
"Probably!" Harry replied, feeling his heart rush through his throat, all the adrenaline and fear rushing through his veins. He took the rudder and righted the ship, which was leaning dangerously to port.
Harriet snorted.
"If you're here, who's driving the Lost Revenge?" She asked loudly.
Harry smirked.
"See for yourself!"
CJ and Harriet looked back at The Revenge, where Uma's figure was behind the rudder, steering it with ease. The wind ruffled her braids, and she was shouting orders to the well-organized crew.
Even CJ was speechless.
The storm continued practically all night. Harry was exhausted and his body felt numb. The ships rose with the waves at angles of nearly forty-five degrees, then fell with such force that their bones practically rumbled. When the waves subsided, thunder deafened everything, or the rain poured down. Near dawn, the masts of the Lost Revenge lit up at the ends as if they had been set on fire, albeit with blue flames. Harry knew the phenomenon from the descriptions his father had given him.
"St. Elmo's fire," said Harriet, who was next to him, soaked and exhausted. "Then the worst of the storm is over."
"As long as it shines, we'll be fine," Harry agreed. And, he had to admit, the storm had been fun.
Although probably, from Harriet and CJ's gaze, it wouldn't be a good idea to mention it.
When the sun began to rise, the storm had passed, and the sea was calm again. Sammy relieved Harry at the rudder and he got into one of the boats to get back to the ship with Uma. His captain was waiting for him, and Harry was surprised to see that she didn't look tired, even though the entire crew seemed about to collapse on the deck. No, Uma seemed to have more energy than a toddler, and she was more excited than they were the time Harry and Gil found good candy in Auradon's shipments.
"Harry! Did you see the St. Elmo's fire? And those huge, heavy waves, about two hours ago?" She took his arm, noticing that Harry could barely keep his eyes open. "Are you okay?"
He nodded.
"Aye, aye, captain. Exhausted, but fine."
Uma hooked her little finger on Harry's hook.
"Come on, you must rest, first mate. It was a long night."
"Why aren't you tired?" Harry asked as they descended to the lower deck. Uma smiled cheekily and that was better than all the sunsets in the world.
"The storm gave me energy, actually. I guess that's what comes with being a sea witch."
Inside the captain's cabin, Harry flopped onto the bed. Uma closed the door and straddled him. She was uninhibited and happy, and it seemed to Harry that she was just like when she got drunk on rum. She sought his lips greedily and bit him. His body immediately relaxed. Harry was so tired that he didn't even try to suppress the moan that came from his lips.
"Rest, Harry. I'll take care of you." Uma whispered; her hands buried in his hair.
She was amazing, more than that. Uma was the most wonderful person in the world, a goddess, queen, captain. And she loved him. His mind couldn't quickly process the feeling of Uma on him, kissing him, and after that exhaustion and without the adrenaline to keep him awake, Harry literally passed out.
