Chapter 20 CARIBBEAN SEA JUNE 1968
"Britannia!" Flying Dutchman cried.
She raced forward only to have the five ships that attacked her mentor turn on her.
Flying Dutchman stopped.
"You should've run away chika." The leader said through a heavy Spanish accent.
She advanced and Flying Dutchman bared her teeth, ready to meet her challenge.
More cannon fire sounded and Flying Dutchman whipped around to see a British patrol charging in with guns blazing.
Among them was "Wicked Wench?!" Flying Dutchman exclaimed in disbelief.
"You again?!" Wicked Wench exclaimed, her eyes widening.
Flying Dutchman nodded.
"Didn't think I'd be fighting pirates to defend pirates." Wicked Wench said.
"I'm not a pirate." Flying Dutchman growled.
"Then what are you?" Wicked Wench asked.
"I am Flying Dutchman." Flying Dutchman growled.
"Britannia's apprentice." Wicked Wench realized.
Flying Dutchman nodded. "That's me." She agreed.
Wicked Wench saluted. "After you ma'am." She said.
Flying Dutchman chuckled and charged in.
The remaining pirate ships either fled or were destroyed.
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Flying Dutchman laughed.
Her happiness was short lived as agonizing pain shot through all her mental berries, invading her whole body.
Flying Dutchman gasped, trying hard to remain upright.
"Dutchman, what's wrong?" Wicked Wench asked, using her shoulder to support the failing fluyt.
Images ran through Flying Dutchman's head in a way that made them seem as if they were on a time delay.
But the most overwhelming thing was a deep agonizing pain and fear, fear that was not her own.
It made Britannia's mental shriek for help 2 months prior look like a small squeal.
"Britannia!" Flying Dutchman whispered and raced off.
Her mentor was listing heavily to one side.
Flying Dutchman raced forward and caught her before she fell.
Her head rolled limply against Flying Dutchman's hull.
"Britannia, look at me!" She begged. "Look at me!"
Desperately she reached out over the bond only to find it was not working.
Britannia was still blocking her.
"HMS Britannia, you will not leave me!" She growled.
She nudged her mentor.
"Britannia, please…" She cried.
"Shadow…"
Flying Dutchman froze.
She'd heard her mentor sob, heard her angry, heard her rage and rant even but never, never had she ever heard Britannia beg.
Never had her cherished name been whispered in such desperation.
"I'm here. I'm here." Flying Dutchman assured her.
Britannia whimpered, letting Flying Dutchman hold her close.
"Shadow, help me…" Britannia sobbed.
Flying Dutchman held her tighter at this.
"It's gonna be alright." She whispered. "You're gonna be fine. A British patrol is here. We'll get you back to Liverpool."
"I'm sorry." Britannia rasped.
"For what?" Flying Dutchman asked.
"For silencing the bond. I didn't want to do it but it was necessary for my mission." Britannia replied.
"You mean you weren't mad at me?" Flying Dutchman asked.
"How could I never be mad at you, Shadow?" Britannia replied.
"I was involved in a top secret assignment by the British government and I couldn't have the bond interfering with my duties. You weren't supposed to know what I was doing. I'd long since guessed about the Kraken's existence and your friendship. It isn't easy to hide things through a bond." Britannia murmured.
"So you muted it, making me think you were angry with me." Flying Dutchman guessed.
"I know you Shadow, muting the bond without a clear reason why would've only upset you more." Britannia replied, her voice fading.
Flying Dutchman nudged her.
"Hey, stay awake for me!" She growled.
Britannia groaned.
"Wicked Wench!" Flying Dutchman cried.
The younger merchant raced over.
"Wha-oh. Exor, quickly!" She shouted to another ship in the patrol.
HMS Exor was the Royal Navy's healer at the time.
She bounded over quickly.
"Britannia…" She gasped.
The great ship looked awful, her mainmast lying in the water, blood pouring from the wound like a fountain to pool up on deck.
Weakly, Britannia raised her head to look up at Exor.
"How bad?" She croaked.
"Bad." Exor replied.
Britannia whimpered as Exor pressed a tourniquet to her wound.
"I'm going to have to splint it." She said.
Britannia nodded, bracing herself.
Flying Dutchman took up station on Britannia's opposite side, supporting the larger ship as Exor began to lift the severed mainmast out of the water.
Britannia shrieked and her agony was felt by Flying Dutchman who held her tightly.
"It's okay. It's okay." She whispered over and over again.
Britannia sobbed into her apprentice's side.
Flying Dutchman rocked her gently.
"Shh, shh." She whispered.
Britannia wailed into her side, her whole body convulsing as Exor twisted the broken splintered mast back into place.
"Please, please stop!" She cried.
"She can't. We have to get that mainmast back up so you can sail." Flying Dutchman replied.
Exor tied a brace to the mast and backed off.
"That should do it though I warn against anything strenuous Britannia." She said to her leader.
Britannia nodded, leaning into her apprentice as Flying Dutchman nuzzled her.
"You love her don't you?" Exor murmured.
IT was more of a statement than an actual question.
Britannia nodded.
"Yes were bonded." She replied.
Exor didn't seem surprised by this.
"All I can say is I'm happy for you Britannia. It's about time you found someone to love." She said.
"Thank you." Britannia dipped her head.
Flying Dutchman held her.
"We'll get you to Liverpool. You'll have a nice long rest and you'll be fine." She said.
Britannia smiled warmly at her.
"As long as you stay with me, I have nothing to fear." She said.
Flying Dutchman smiled and pulled her in for a kiss.