Lost at Sea Bk. 02 Ch. 04

"Oh you poor thing!" Janie said, a bit shocked at how casually Tonya had mentioned such a terrible ordeal.

The small girl shrugged. "It was just the way life was then. It's over now. There's a lot of us here with stories like that."

Janie was quiet at that. Thoughtful. She continued to wash herself then dipped into the water to rinse. The silence became a bit awkward after a while.

"Did I say something wrong?" Tonya asked.

"No, not at all," Janie assured her. "This place isn't anything like I thought it would be."

"Just wait until it gets dark," Tonya smirked. "It might match your expectations a bit better then."

"I admit, I am curious," Janie smiled. Her stomach rumbled loudly. Tonya looked down at it through the water.

"You ready to get out? I bet Sasha has something to eat for you by now," Tonya said, standing up.

Janie nodded and followed, leaving the soothing heat behind. Her body was so warm now that the cool air felt soothing rather than chilled. She dried herself with one of the towels from the bench and reached for her clothes.

"Just take them with you. We'll find you something else until we get them washed. You just got clean. No sense in putting dirty clothes back on," Tonya suggested.

"Well I can't very well walk out like this," Jaine said, looking down at herself.

Tonya laughed. "Sure you can. If you're feeling modest just wrap the towel around yourself. Around here, that's more than most people do."

Jaine's brows furrowed for a moment, then she wrapped herself in the towel and picked up her clothes. "This all feels like a strange dream," she said with a small shake of her head.

"I felt that way for the first few months of being here too," Tonya grinned.

They left the baths behind and headed back upstairs.

________________

Belita's gold rings caught the faint light of the wall lamps as Bella flicked them gently with her fingertips. "These are so much fun," she said between kisses. "Where did you come up with the idea?"

"It's a Nivalese tradition," Belita said.

"You are definitely not Nivalese." Bella giggled. Nival was a continent populated largely by very dark skinned people. No one would ever mistake the blond captain for one of them.

"No, but at the time of my eleventh trip around the Horn, I had a Nivalese first mate. He had his pierced with ivory crescents. When I joked about running outta ear space, he reminded me that I had a lot of other options. He did this one right as we passed around the tip of the horn," she said tapping her left breast, "and the other one on the way back, right out on the sterncastle."

"Isn't that the most dangerous part of that trip? I hear that's a very narrow strait, full of ice and monsters," Bella said. Her dark eyebrows were as high as they would go.

"The sirens aren't really monsters. Their mating calls just have a strange effect on men," Belita shrugged, enjoying the sensations as Bella continued to play with her nipple rings.

"Driving them mad enough to try to swim through freezing waters is a little worse than strange," Bella snorted. "How do you deal with that?"

"There's a few tricks. Stopping up the ears is a good one. Having a musician play to interrupt the power of their song is another. Crewing a ship only with women and deaf men is the most reliable way. There's a few ships that make their living that way. The Kestrel was one of them for a while, until the Blood Tide closed off the passage," Belita smiled.

"What if a woman is attracted to women too? Does the song still draw them?" Bella asked.

"A bit, but not to the same extent. I've never seen a woman ever want tae jump overboard. They just get really horny," Belita snickered.

"Sounds kinda fun," the N'madi witch grinned, bringing her lips down to nip at the Captain's rings.

"It is. That's why my crew is so comfortable with each other," Belita twitched her shoulders inward at the little spike of pleasure, squeezing her breasts together for a moment. "After the first orgy breaks out on the deck, there aren't many taboos left."

Bella's eyes widened. "That doesn't sound so bad at all. I've only ever heard that the Devil's Horn was the most dangerous place on the seas, and that Sirens were like Succubi, luring men to their deaths."

"I bet ye heard that from men," Belita snorted. "I can think of a dozen places more dangerous than the horn. We're headed tae one of them now."

"What are the Drifts like?" Bella asked, continuing her nibbling and teasing.

The Captain put her hands behind her head and relaxed into the pillows, smiling and stretching with a throaty purr. "Unpredictable. They are constantly changing. I've only ever seen them from the outside. It's a daunting sight. Awesome and humbling."

"You think we can make it through?"

"No idea. That's what Will and ye are here for," Belita shrugged.

It dawned on Bella how much trust the Captain was putting in Will's abilities. "Why would you take that risk? You barely know us."

"Will looked me in the eye and said he could do it. I know boasts when I see them. He's either delusional, or completely confident. Ye seem wary and sensible enough not tae hang around with a delusional person. I think Will really believes he can do it. I've been waiting for someone like that tae come around for years," Belita idly stroked Bella's hair, staring at the ceiling while she talked. "I was afraid it might never happen, or that if it did, it wouldn't be me tae recruit them."

"You aren't worried that we might all die?" Bella asked.

"I've run the Horn twenty times. I'm nae afraid of dying at sea. If I'm going tae die somewhere, I want it tae be doing something no one has ever done before," Belita smiled.

There was a knock at the door. Belita sighed and rolled herself off the bed, shrugging into her coat and holding it tight around her naked body. She opened the door and squinted. "What is it?"

"Ship sighted. Looks like a Magistrate frigate. They're headed our way," Danica said.

"I'll be out in five minutes," the Captain said, shutting the door.

"I guess that means I don't get to return the favor for helping me with my ritual," Bella said.

"Nae, not right now. I think we caught the attention of a Magistrate patrol ship. They're going tae stop us and want to snoop around," Beita said. She started picking up her clothing from the mixed up trail on the floor.

"Does that happen a lot?" Bella asked.

"In areas where the Magistrate is trying tae establish more control, yes," Belita said. "We don't have anything tae worry about. We aren't pirates or smugglers. We'll let Lord Morant handle it."

Bella sat up in the bed and looked around. "Can we not mention the whole 'witch' thing to them?"

"Of course. I'll make sure the crew knows tae keep that under wraps," Belita said, tugging herself into her breeches with a few eye-catching bounces.

"Oh, and can I... uh, well, do you have a mirror I can have?" Bella asked.

"Ye can use the one on the wall, right there," the Captain said with a gesture toward a large oval mirror with a wooden frame carved into the shape of waves.

"No, it's for another ritual. The mirror has to be mine. It can't be borrowed," Bella said with a shake of her head.

"Is it going tae be broken?" Belita asked.

"No," Bella shook her head.

"Can it stay there on the wall?" Belita asked.

"Well, I could put it back after I'm done, yes. I just couldn't give it back to you. Ownership is important to the spell," Bella said.

"It's yours then. Ye can have it. I'll just borrow it when I need tae," Belita said, finishing the buttons on her shirt.

"I feel a bit like you just found a loophole in how this is supposed to work," Bella snickered.

"I have a knack for that," the Captain shrugged. She pulled on one of her boots and set her foot on the edge of the bed. "Oh cabin girl," she smirked. Bella laughed and started pulling the laces tight and fastening the polished buckles.

"Whatever ye have planned with the mirror, ye should wait until we're clear of this patrol ship. They're going tae want tae look everywhere," Belita said.

"Of course. I don't want the Magistrate anywhere near me while I'm doing witch stuff," Bella agreed.

The Captain put her other boot on the bed for Bella to work on. "What kind of spell are you going tae cast on the mirror?"

"Do you remember my apprentice, Tonya?" Bella asked.

"Dinnae think I met her." Belita shrugged back into her coat and picked up her hat.

"Well, not officially. She was the one who was with Will and I at Mary's," Bella said.

"Oh, aye! The wee lass that came so hard she fell outtae her chair," Belita giggled.

"That would be her. I'm going to see if I can communicate with her," Bella smiled.

"Interesting. Having a way tae talk with folks in port could be useful," Belita said, starting to head for the door.

"I'll let you know how it goes," Bella shrugged.

The Captain stepped out into the sun and shut the door behind her. Bella flopped down onto the bed again and looked over at the mirror. She didn't like having to wait.

__________________

"Permission to come aboard!" The crisp, authoritarian voice called out from high above on the other ship.

The Magistrate Frigate rode nearly fifteen feet higher out of the water than the Kestrel and was over twice her length. Will was looking right at an open cannon port. The guns weren't deployed, but he could see them sitting secure inside the larger ship's middle hold. He raised his hand and gave a small wave to the Magistrate cannoneer who was looking at the Kestrel from out the porthole. The cannoneer did not wave back.

"Granted!" Danica North called back. "Do you have a ramp that can reach our deck?"

"Aye, lowering it now!" came the voice from above.

It took a few minutes. Because of the difference in deck height, the boarding ramp had to be lowered down and secured on the Kestrel, and then the two ships had to be pushed away from each other until the ramp was at a safe slope.

Four Magistrate Legionnaires trotted down the plank in fully armed regalia. They carried concave, rectangular shields that covered them from shin to shoulder. Each shield had a notch cut out of the upper right corner. Rifles rested on their shoulders, each one sporting a long bayonet. Their crimson surcoats and intimidating crested helms projected a well-earned reputation of professional menace. They formed up on the deck, scanning the crew and assessing for danger. "Clear!" one of them barked.

Down the plank came a Magistrate naval officer and his scribe. He scanned the Kestrel's deck, taking note of the ropes strewn across the deck, the too-large rigging ladders running to the many smaller boats, and the ragtag looking crew and immediately took a disapproving caste to his face.

"I am Lieutenant Vanderby of the Order of the Anchor, who is the captain of this vessel?" the Magistrate officer asked. He wore a red Bicorn hat and a matching frock coat. The lapel of his coat had a line of pins denoting his rank and achievements in the Magistrate military. There weren't many of them.

"I am," Captain Vex said stepping forward. "Captain Belita Vex of the Kestrel. What can I do for ye, Lieutenant?"

We spotted your ship and saw that she'd loaded down and configured oddly. Seemed worth looking into," the Lieutenant said with cordial formality.

"Oh, aye. My rigging master is experimenting with a new configuration tae accommodate all the rescue vessels we're carrying," the Captain said, gesturing to the many smaller hips hanging off the deck.

"That seemed strange to us as well," the lieutenant said. It was clear he was curious, but maintaining a professional aloofness.

"We're an expedition ship. Where we're headed, the Kestrel can't fit," Captain Vex explained.

"I would like to see your charter and your crew manifest," Lieutenant Vanderby stated.

"Of course. Lord Morant, if you don't mind," the Captain said over her shoulder.

Morant and Mister Lynch stepped forward from the crowd on the deck. Lynch opened a scroll case and handed the contents to his master.

"Lieutenant Vanderby, this is Lord Halister Morant, Viscount of Armondet, the Kestrel's patron," Captain Vex said, stepping aside to allow Morant to take position directly in front of the Magistrate officer. Morant inclined his head slightly.

Vanderby looked surprised and returned the nod, suddenly reassessing his opinion of the Kestrel. "My lord. Your presence will make my job here much easier, I'm sure."

Morant passed Vanderby the paperwork. "I appreciate your presence, Lieutenant," Morant said politely. "The waters are dangerous, and the Kestrel is not in the best shape to be outrunning pirates."

"I would say that is an understatement, my lord." Vanderby looked over the paperwork, then passed it to his scribe. "I'd like to inspect your holds if you don't mind."

Morant nodded. "I see no issue with that. Captain?"

"Nor I," Captain Vex agreed. "Missus North, take the Lieutenant's men below decks. Have your husband unlock everything. Provide them whatever they need."

"Aye, Captain," Danica said. "This way, gentlemen." Two of the Legionaries followed Danica down into the hold.

"You sail with an Asura? How exotic," Vanderby remarked as the scribe pointed out a note in the paperwork.

"My expedition leader's bodyguard," Morant said. "I can have him summoned if you would like to meet him."

"No need. Having an Asura aboard is uncommon, but not my concern," Vanderby said.

The scribe caught the Lieutenant's attention again and passed him one of the papers, pointing out a seal at the bottom and whispering something in the officer's ear. Vanderby nodded. "This is quite an irregular ship," he said. "It says you are working under the authority of the Order of the Vault."

"Quite correct," Morant said. "I encourage you to verify the authenticity of the seal" Vanderby passed the paper back to his scribe and gave him a nod. The scribe turned and went back up the plank to the Frigate.

The captain, the noble and the Magistrate officer walked across the deck, stepping over the many ropes that had been tacked down all over it. "I would love to hear about your expedition, Lord Morant. It sounds like quite an adventure."

The door to the captain's cabin shut behind them.

Will let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He'd had plenty of run-ins with the Magistrate out in open waters before. They had imposing down to an art. It was never a pleasant experience. Next to him, Bella held onto his arm. She was clearly nervous. He smiled at her, trying to be reassuring. Around them, the sailors began milling about, breaking up into small groups and passing the time with banter until they could get underway again.

"Jack came to talk to me," Bella said quietly.

"I saw that," Will said. "I hope it went alright."

"I'm... not sure," Bella said. "She's very upset. Not angry. She seems more sad and overwhelmed."

"That isn't normal for her at all," Will said, surprised.

"No. She also said something that... well, brace yourself, alright." Bella took a breath. Will waited. "She said she knows what your curse is."

Will was quiet, he stood still and simply thought. His first reaction was to get angry. He wanted to go find her and wring answers out of her. He took a deep breath. "So what is it?'

"That's the thing, she said she couldn't tell me. She seemed really upset about it, but no matter what she wouldn't explain. She said she was sorry though," Bella said.

"Well that's progress, I suppose," Will said bitterly. "Not really helpful though."

"No. It isn't." Bella seemed sad and concerned. "I think she's really hurt, Will. Whatever happened, it's put her through hell too."

"Good," Will scoffed.

"Will, does any of this seem like her? The her you used to know?" Bella asked.

"No. Not at all," Will admitted angrily.

"What if she's cursed too?" Bella asked.

"Well why wouldn't she say so? I can talk about mine," Will shrugged.

"What if it's different for her?" Bella asked. "There's a lot of kinds of curses."

"I don't know. Seems far fetched and too convenient of an answer," Will said. "She might just be trying to get off the hook."

"Does that sound like her?" Bella asked a bit more sternly. "She does a lot of things I don't agree with, but she never tries to make excuses for them. I've never seen her try to blame anything or anyone for her choices."

Will sighed. "That's true."

"I'm not sure what to do," Bella shook her head sadly.

"What can we do? It's not like we can pry the information out of her," Will shrugged. "She's the most stubborn person I've ever met."

"That's the thing, I think we probably could. It seems like she really wants to tell us, but for whatever reason she just can't. It's tearing her up. If we pushed her about it she might actually give in. She broke down in tears, Will. I've never seen her do that. She's desperate to get whatever it is off her chest. I think she feels guilty." Bella walked over to the railing and stared out at the water.

Will followed. "I'm glad. That's a good sign. If she'd just explain what she knows maybe we could figure out a way past all this."

"I'm not sure. Where I'm torn is that I don't think we should pry. Whatever this is, it's clearly an important enough thing that she's decided it's worth being estranged from both of us. I can't even imagine something that would make her choose that, which is why I thought maybe she was cursed too."

"You want to give her the benefit of the doubt," Will said thoughtfully. He could see why. Part of him wanted to also. He just wasn't sure she deserved it. Jack's choices had nearly gotten him killed and he'd been carrying a grudge for a long time. Beneath the grudge was a desire to know why, and to try to believe it had all been some terrible misunderstanding. Bella was offering him both of those things, and he wanted to believe it. He just couldn't. He was a sceptic at heart. When things seemed too good to be true, they always were.

"I'm not sure I want to. It's easier to be angry. I just don't have it in me," Bella shrugged.

"You're kinder than I am. I won't pry at whatever she knows, but until she decides to tell me herself I don't think my feelings about any of this are going to change." Will was feeling conflicted and mentally tired. The last few days had been a lot to deal with. He was trying to enjoy the start of the journey, roll with the waves and look to the horizon, but leaving Janie behind had taken a lot of the wind out of his sails. He felt like he was dragging his anchor. It nagged at him, beneath the surface of everything. He was worried about her and upset with himself that he hadn't been able to figure out a way to save her. He'd run the scenario around in his head dozens of times since he'd woken up. He'd come to the conclusion that the mistake was when Cal Kidd was off the fishing boat before Jakob had let Janie go. If they had held onto Cal, they'd still have had leverage to get Jakob to release Janie.

Such a small mistake. Was it his curse? Or was it just a lapse in judgement during a crisis? Or was it part of Morant's improvised plan? It hadn't felt like his curse, but luck was a subtle thing. He hadn't felt that feeling of slipping sideways, but he'd been on a boat. It always felt a bit like that with the waves under you. Could he have just missed it?

Now this. Jack and the curse. Confusion and lies. So many old feelings he'd tried to bury had become mixed with so many new ones he hadn't had time to think on. He felt adrift. Rudderless.

He and Bella stood next to each other, each lost in thought, watching the water.

________________

The Magistrate patrol ship disappeared into the distance. That stop had wasted over an hour of daylight. Will was impressed with the speed of it. Usually a Magistrate inspection took longer. Lieutenant Vanderby had deferred to Lord Morant. Between being titled nobility and bearing a writ of authority from one of the Magistrate's own orders had swayed Vanderby to overlook things like opening every crate and doing a full headcount by name on the manifest and looking for stowaways.