Chapter 15 CARIBBEAN SEA MARCH 1698
Flying Dutchman sailed past Port Royal, her decks filed with Royal Navy sailors and marines.
She'd been back in the mortal realm barely a day and already she had a full deck!
Something or someone was going around sinking ships port and starboard and Flying Dutchman had a feeling she knew who it was.
It wasn't the first time she'd dealt with the effects of rogue pirates.
They'd appeared before 10 years earlier, causing minor damage to British merchant shipping.
They'd gone silent following the minor plague outbreak in 1687 and Flying Dutchman had thought she'd seen the last of them.
But apparently she was wrong.
They were back and they'd gotten bolder too, attacking British warships in the region on top of other things.
Flying Dutchman sighed, knowing Britannia would be pissed when she learned of this new development but the young fluyt wasn't sure if she should tell her.
Her mentor had a lot on her mind recently.
France was at war with England again and Britannia's temper had been short, her days long and her nights almost nonexistent.
Flying Dutchman couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Britannia sleep!
The old ship had been pushing herself hard these past few weeks and Flying Dutchman was worried about her health.
The last time she'd seen her mentor, Britannia had looked thin and worn.
She hadn't been eating much either, limiting herself to a measly portion of grog and salted bread.
It was with some reluctance, but very little, that Flying Dutchman decided not to tell Britannia about the rogue pirates.
Her mentor had enough on her plate and Flying Dutchman would not make it worse.
As the sun went down, she sent up the green flash that'd by now become a legend and sailed into the locker.
Dropping the navy men off at either Port Royal or London, whichever they wanted, Flying Dutchman set her course for her home.
Britannia was there when she arrived, reading over important looking government documents.
She did not seem to notice Flying Dutchman.
"Britannia?" Flying Dutchman asked, nudging her as she drew up alongside.
"Back already?" Britannia asked, surprised.
Flying Dutchman winced at how hoarse her mentor's voice sounded, as though she'd been coughing.
"I had a full deck." She replied with a shrug.
"How did you fill up so quickly" Britannia asked, surprised.
"It's war Britannia, what'd you expect?" Flying Dutchman answered curtly.
"But there hasn't been a naval engagement for weeks. Surely you couldn't be that far behind." Britannia said.
Her eyes narrowed. "Is there something you aren't telling me?" She asked.
Flying Dutchman sighed, knowing she had no other choice but to tell Britannia the truth.
She was dreading this.
"It appears the rogue pirates have returned to the Caribbean." She admitted at last.
Her words had the very affect upon her mentor that she'd feared.
Britannia leaped upright, sailing out of her berth, pacing back and forth her rigging lashing furiously.
"How dare they!" She snarled. "How dare they attack helpless merchants in a time like this!"
"It wasn't merchants, Britannia." Flying Dutchman sighed.
Britannia rounded on her. "Then what part of my empire did they attack?" She asked.
"They've gotten bolder." Flying Dutchman replied. 'The men I found were from a pair of brigs that came under fire."
Britannia's blue eyes blazed.
"First France, now this!" She cried. "You will help me track them down, Dutchman. We will find these bastards and we will bring them to justice, I swear it!" She shouted.
Her anger exhausted her of the last of her strength and she staggered.
Flying Dutchman leaped forward and caught her as she fell.
"You need to take it easy, Britannia." She said as the other ship groaned against her.
"Ugh…" Britannia rasped.
Flying Dutchman nuzzled her, carrying her into her berth.
"Now you rest." She ordered. "You need it."
Britannia pressed against her causing Flying Dutchman to smile.
She knew what her mentor's unspoken question was.
"I'm not going anywhere." She promised.
Britannia relaxed, falling asleep in minutes.
Flying Dutchman watched over her for the rest of the day, eventually falling asleep herself.
She woke with a crushing weight on her decks.
Struggling for a minute, she managed to twist her head around to see the weight was Britannia's bow.
Sighing, Flying Dutchman gave Britannia a nudge.
The other ship grunted.
"Wha…" She mumbled sleepily.
"Can you please get your bow off my decks, you're crushing me!" Flying Dutchman hissed.
She was also feeling unbearably hot.
Murmuring an apology, Britannia lifted her bow off her and Flying Dutchman moved to another part of the berth.
Britannia rested, curled up against the dock falling back asleep.
Frowning, Flying Dutchman noticed something different about her mentor.
Reaching out over the bond she found herself being harshly rebuked by strong mental shields and realized Britannia was blocking her.
"What are you hiding?" Flying Dutchman whispered, pressing her prow to Britannia's side.
She recoiled at once, burying her nose in the water to ensure it wasn't on fire.
Britannia's whole side gave off waves and waves of heat.
Flying Dutchman wondered how she couldn't see it shimmering on the water like a mirage it felt that hot.
If she looked hard enough, she could see sweat glisten on Britannia's hull as the sun rays hit it.
Her flanks didn't rise and fall evenly like they normally should.
Instead they rose and fell in a ragged, shallow pattern like Britannia was consciously making the effort to breathe.
No wonder she'd looked so tired. She couldn't even rest properly.
A quiet wheeze issued from her throat with every exhale.
"Oh what have you done…?" Flying Dutchman whispered.
She pulled up alongside her beloved mentor, rubbing her side against hers in the hopes that could help ease whatever pain Britannia felt in her lungs.
Though Britannia had firmly clamped down on her end of the bond, making it impossible for Flying Dutchman to feel her pain, that didn't stop the fluyt from sending tendrils of healing love across it.
Flying Dutchman could feel Britannia's resistance.
"You are so stubborn." She growled. "Let me in. Let me help."
Britannia remained steadfast, her mental shields as strong as ever.
She didn't want her dear apprentice feeling her agony.
"Damnit you!" Flying Dutchman snarled, pulling Britannia against her.
"I can help if you'd just let me!" She hissed.
Britannia's unfaltering resistance wavered.
"I can take it. I know I can. Please…." Flying Dutchman begged her.
With a mental sigh, Britannia conceded, lowering her mental shields.
Flying Dutchman was now able to send her healing efforts through.
At the same time, Britannia's own pain found its way along their shared mental link.
The old ship had no control over just how much of it got through, her mental energies exhausted.
Flying Dutchman almost collapsed at the sudden burning fire that entered her lungs.
Every breath hurt her beyond words could explain and she wondered just how Britannia had managed with agony like this.
Concentrating her efforts before the pain could cloud her judgment too badly, Flying Dutchman gently but firmly curbed back on her end of the bond, determining that only some of Britannia's burning pain got through.
Britannia relaxed, her pain eased somewhat thanks to Flying Dutchman's efforts.
The younger ship settled down beside her mentor, being unable to completely hide the worry that clouded her mind.
When Britannia fell ill, and that didn't happen very often, she became very ill usually for long periods of time.
Flying Dutchman wondered just how Britannia would be able to pull through this one.
Seeming to sense her worry, Britannia pressed closer to Flying Dutchman.
"I'm alright." Flying Dutchman assured her, sending waves of reassurance over the bond.
Britannia relaxed. Her breathing was still shallow but it was less ragged and had started to even out some.
Flying Dutchman smiled, leaning down to kiss Britannia atop her head.
"Sleep well my dearest mentor." She whispered.