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Elsanne Eikenaar
‘Fair’ Anne Burton*
‘Jade Eyes’
‘Lord’s Blood’*
Little Royal Sister*
Queen of Veer’s Gulf
Queen of Veer’s Gulf
Part II
-Lord’s own Blood-
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*Elsanne had several monikers throughout the years both on Eplas and on Jelin. Some obviously were about her outward appearance and high rank or station in the realm but others were more esoteric like Anne Burton for instance or ‘Little Royal Sister’. They were both referring to her being a member of the Brotherhood of Gentlemen & Ladies aka the Buccaneers. The Pirates Guild. Lord’s Blood, another esoteric moniker, was a nod to her being a direct descendant of Reinut the Great that the Brotherhood considered one of their own and the first pirate Lord. The latter a disturbing detail almost all High Kings after him had steered clear from, with each having his own story or version about the royal lineage’s elusive link to the noble houses of the Kaletha Triarchy.
The young Queen was to do exactly the opposite.
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> Night of the 14th of Tertius 194 NC
>
> The natural narrow channel outside Bayspell and across Shroudcoast
>
> The Free Isles
>
> Naval clash at Shallow Straits
>
> -Khanate name ‘The paean of peerless Binra-Kot’
> Captain Nelis Oost saw the flaming catapult shot strike the Black Prince’s forecastle as the Foresight dipped down the water’s crest to the trough, carving a fiery path on the deck and striking the foremast. Splinters exploded outwards, barrels, torn sails and snapped lines, with screaming sailors hurled overboard or smashed to a pulp by the severed falling mast. The large warship groaned alike a wounded beast, its bow dipping below the waves and as the Foresight climbed the crest again Oost could see the whole line of the enemy Galleys firing one after the other.
>
> The sight overwhelming and borderline surreal in its grandiose savagery.
>
> The breadth of the sky covered in black smoke and the burning lights on the enemy ships flickering in the semi-darkness, Bayspell’s illuminated port less than a kilometer away still distracting to the eyes. Rear Admiral Basten Haar had ordered the leading squadron of warships to chase after the slow-moving Galleys they had spotted an hour earlier, the port’s lights and the morning darkness hiding their true numbers. The favorable western-heading wind whistling through the Shallow Straits now pushing the whole fleet towards the packed lines of the Khan’s Navy. Not a single transport amongst them.
>
> The squadron had been decimated with six ships floundering already and the rest of the Fleet coming after them about to face the same fate.
>
> “Stenden signals for the ships to turn port side sire! Arch towards the south!” Thier Bell boomed, face soaked in brine. The Commodore had taken over with the fate of the Rear Admiral unknown. The Black Prince was struggling to stay above water with more shots splashing near their bow as well, thick white froth coming to the surface, the waves couldn’t wash away. Bodies, broken barrels, shattered planks and supplies mixed in.
>
> “We need to close with them! Good grief, this is no man’s land! Signal him back! Where’s the Hesper?” Nelis barked rushing down the quarterdeck, the ship shaking and people yelling orders, the booming sounds reverberating as if bouncing off a sky firmament or an angry cloudy sky. But there was not a single cloud over their heads for the whole night, the moons only quarter full.
>
> “By the Five!” Nelis yelled slipping on the soaked deck.
>
> Pier Hakker grabbed his arm to keep him steady. The marine officer’s armour drenched. “My men are target practice Oost!” He roared and Nelis slapped his hand away.
>
> “BELL RAISE THE BLASTED FLAGS!” The Captain ordered in a booming hoarse voice the next moment. “SIGNAL THE SHIPS TO CLOSE! STRAIGHT AHEAD! RUN WITH THE WIND!”
>
> There was no time to attempt anything else with the enemy so close.
>
> “Run with the wind!” Bell yelled at the top of his lungs. “Straight ahead!”
>
> Nelis watched the enemy ships growing before their bow, hand holding a line connected to Foresight’s main mast. Most of the enemy ships angled starboard side to use all their machines, their oars out. Twenty, thirty, he counted quickly. Forty.
>
> Uher’s light.
>
> The whole Khanate Fleet was waiting for them.
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> “CUT SAILS FIFTY METERS OUT!” Nelis barked.
>
> “You’ll crash us on them captain!” An ogling Bell argued with a grunt. Nelis watched the turning Oryon got hit by a cluster of five shots at least on its starboard side and a crack opening from keel to deck rails. The warship almost split in two. People killed in scores.
>
> This is a blasted ambush.
>
> “Give him a count for the distance! Every ten meters!” He barked at the petty officer on the watch above him. “Bell you have your darn orders!” Nelis snapped at the approaching to argue his case First Mate and a pale-faced Bell nodded with a scowl. The Captain turned to one of the nearby marines next. “Tell Hakker to get you ready to assault them. Hooks out to tie them up! We’re gonna clip their sticks so expect a jostle!”
>
> “Aye Captain. We’ll give them a good licking!” The marine saluted and went after his leading officer. Nelis watched him go and then glanced at the approaching line of enemy galleys packed with Khanate marines. In less than five minutes they were about to receive bolts and arrows en masse.
>
> By Oras shadow, this ain’t going to end well. The captain mused pensively.
-
The large Raven, its feathers black as fresh dug coal had landed on a branch two trees away and stared at her austerely with its bulbous beady eyes.
Bend the fuckin’ knee! It had yelled suddenly with a great voice not turning its head away but it was addressed to those present at the ravaged forest opening and not the young Princess. Barons, Dukes and a now dead King.
And then it started cackling like Luthos’ fool.
Well then, the scrawny wrinkled face of Lord Ruud commented sourly stooping over the neck of his warhorse to better see her coming about. I say that’s a bloody chance wasted if there ever was one!
Your hand, if you’ll have me, a grinning Ralph had told her years later. The dashing knight dropping dead not two days after that scene missing his chance. Elsanne gasped in her dream, the humidity making her breath coming out rugged and a thin coating of sweat covered her neck, the moisture running down the swell of her breasts.
CAW
‘They might come for your hand princess or your pretty head next time,’ the mysterious Selussa had told her. ‘This is my road. Doesn’t have to be yours. But what does a girl that was a prize all her life do if she’s threatened?’
The girl gives no quarters, Elsanne had replied.
Big waves, the deep blue sea and the golden glow of the not so distant desert. An ambush on the rocky shores afore that and a wronged rebel captain named Kobus. A castle in the middle of a toxic jungle right after, the Goddess’ Wall and Ovinet’s Nest piercing the clouds.
Any tavern and at any port, Dawson had told her and she slapped the ‘piece o’ twelve’ on the tavern’s counter, a skull carved on its polished silver surface. Captain Ottis, the Dogs and a pirate with nine lives that eventually run out.
CAW
The gory, badly smelling and severed boar’s head rattled the garden’s bench. Large bloody tongue still leaking on the wood’s surface. Sir Kobus Van Eunen recoiling at the sight -another Kobus this and a younger Gust clad in heavy armour turning all red in the face.
Time turned it to a fine leather vest tarnished with dripping blood.
Trickle.
Drip and drop.
The crimson brook running down the old dark sandstone a step at a time. A dark and dour windowless hall and the breeze coming from ‘Crow’s Hole’ making the hundreds of candles flickering. The opening packed with black birds that started flying over the grim-faced guests. A familiar Raven the size of an eagle landing on the empty stone throne’s headrest, the old sculpted stone cracked and brittle. It stilled two beady eyes on her again and clacked its black beak angrily. The bird wanted more blood spilt.
‘He should have been abandoned in the Isles. All this goes against what we all had agreed. Not another war. On his words. Listen to yourselves! Not a pirate’s vile line! A thug with Eastland Cove’s blood can’t rule over the Holy Triarchy.’ Uher’s Archmagister declared at the stunned council. ‘By the Five he can’t. Lest we are all dead and tossed overboard!’
A surly Reinut had stood back at that, hint of a leer formed on his lips.
CAW
With a scream Elsanne woke up, arms and legs kicking wildly. She rolled on one side and then the other, head hanging from the side of her bed dangerously. Eyes blurry and her tunic drenched in sweat.
Head weighing a ton.
Mouth numb and tasting funny.
Well mostly of Adele’s wine and the Purser’s rum.
Maybe piss? But that could be the latter.
“Ah,” she griped with a pout. Blinked her eyes at the small illuminated room trying to remember where she was. The bed hard and wet under her. Elsanne touched the surface and brought the hand near her face to see whether anything untoward had happened in her sleep.
Nope.
Good girls don’t use their bed as latrine.
She grinned at that but then she spotted the large frame of Gust on the small couch, used as a chair. Elsanne lowered her hand on the crumbled sheets, her neck getting hot. Engorged nipples poking at the wet fabric fiercely.
A big problem lately.
“What are you doing there?” She asked huskily, despite her attempt to sound annoyed because she was.
“Slept on the couch,” Gust rustled with a frown. Elsanne swung her legs over the side of the bed and placed her feet firmly on the rough wooden floor.
Eh.
“Not to disturb you,” the knight added, apparently in a mood.
Does Gust dream? What are his nightmares like? Elsanne wondered.
Because mine are weird.
Uher, she complained next glancing at the open window. Your light is hurting me.
“You can’t fit in there,” Elsanne noted and stared at her feet leaving moist impressions on the floorboards.
“I can sleep fine just the same your grace,” Gust argued and a peeved Elsanne raised her arm to stop him.
“We wanted your company,” she told him sternly. “On this bed. Which is for sleeping. Let me finish. We expected a better greeting after our difficult night.”
“Apologies.”
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“Gust,” Elsanne hissed and tapped the side of the bed with a hand. “You don’t appear willing.”
“I am. Always,” the large man rustled and got up.
Allgods, he’s tall as a tree.
“Yet you’re still standing there.”
“I was thinking,” Gust started and she shook her head frustrated. “Your grace didn’t hear what I wanted to say.”
“See? I don’t like that. This your grace stuff in private,” Elsanne admonished him.
“Elsanne,” Gust tried again visibly in discomfort. “A Queen can’t have a lover.”
What?
Elsanne stood up and glared at his big head. “You presume to dictate what a Queen can or can’t do Sir Gust? Any secret knowledge of a Queen’s wants you want to share with us?”
Gust stood back furrowing his brows.
“Eh. It’s an important query,” Elsanne insisted with a sly grin. “You’re sleeping with another Queen I don’t know about?”
“Of course I’m not!” Gust grunted angrily.
“I was jesting calm down,” Elsanne retorted and then sighed.
“What was the joke?”
“I… forget it. It was in poor taste.”
“People expect a certain character from—” Gust started but she stopped him with a peeved gesture.
“I know how to handle people,” Elsanne told him. “All this talk of what to do or how to react is really meaningless. A pretend game. I’ve been a princess but then I wasn’t. Then I was something else. I will be a Queen.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“It is for me,” Elsanne retorted. “The only people that matter are the Lords and their mind is probably already made up. Am I wrong Gust?”
“You’ll give ammunition to your enemies,” Gust answered rigidly.
“Gust, they won’t change their mind. Will your father be convinced out of his ways?”
“I told you what Ruud might want.”
“You told me what you think your father might want. But you don’t know,” Elsanne continued and approached him still in awe of his size. The armour she could do without. Gust made considerable effort to keep his eyes on her face but given their difference in height and the sun warming her wet back it was difficult. “Tell me I know your heart and what I see in you is real,” she whispered. “I want you on my side Gust. In my bed. Can I have that?”
The knight reached to cup her face with a big hand and bring her closer. Rough fingers lacing on her nape and brushing her moist curls aside. A shiver run through Elsanne, a good one and her gaze filled with longing. “Give me this last good day,” she murmured huskily. “Before Jelin and the Lords of the realm. It might be a while afore we can afford another.”
A sound came from her open window. Talons scratching at the wood’s surface and feathers ruffling. Elsanne pouted, the smell of rotting roadkill reaching her nostrils. “He’s behind us eh?” She asked the silent Gust and he nodded.
“WATER FUCKING MELON!” Bugs thundered to startle them and it turned into a wild pleased cackle that got interrupted by a curt knock on her door.
“SOD OFF!” The Raven croaked very annoyed.
“Stand behind me,” Gust told her and went to open the door.
A sour-faced Jasi appeared, looking as annoyed as the whistling a strange tune with its head tipped back old-raven. The sharp notes interrupted by its beak snapping close at regular intervals.
“Is she decent?” The Eunuch asked and then grimaced. “She isn’t. Right. Big message arrived. Long faces all about downstairs. Lots of hush-hush on how to break the news to our Queen.”
“Good morning Jasi,” Elsanne greeted poking her head behind Gust’s back. “I’m hungry.”
“I am too. Had everything figured out and ready,” Jasi revealed with a pout. “But I had to run upstairs to give your un-appareled Excellency a head start.”
“What could it be?” Gust wondered as they already had enough news from Jelin arriving the previous days. “I better go hear them first.”
“No reason,” Jasi stopped him with a grimace. “I read it already while they were talking it out. My eyes are excellent I’ll have you know. I can read a scroll nailed on a wall from five meters—”
“What’s the missive Jasi?” Elsanne asked stopping his gloating.
The scowling Gust was about to slap him so she did him a solid.
“The Khan won at Shallow Straits by the skin of his teeth,” the Eunuch replied stiffly at the interruption and brushed softly at his trimmed eyebrow with a painted a fine-white nail. “Still the word used was disaster I believe.”
-
> Rear Admiral Basten Haar entered the Shallow Straits on the night of the 14th, the third month of 194 with forty eight warships. The majority of Kaltha’s main fleet plus a squadron of six warships that had made it out of Krakenhall. Another squadron of Kaltha’s North Fleet was operating out of Sallowhall and one had been left at Atri to patrol the northern approaches from Ri Yue-Tu and Altarin. The powerful fleet, included twenty armoured Brigs (like Foresight), ten three-mast Barques (led by Hesper and Oryon) and seven full-rigged grand-Barques (led by the Frigate Black Prince), approached Bayspell two hours before dawn.
>
> Unbeknownst to them the port was under the Khanate’s control, a disastrous intelligence failure fueled by the Navy’s poor patrolling of the straits after months of revolt and a collapse of the Kingdom’s spy network due to lack of funding in the area along their attention focused on the succession matter. On top of everything else King Antoon’s the 2nd failing health (the king had been unable to leave his room for years with some even suggesting he was more dead than alive) eventually got the better of him. While several different fanciful versions of the ‘years of silence’ exist today, it is highly unlikely that Antoon ever recovered or became aware of his surroundings. In a sense the hapless High King had never survived his assassination attempt.
>
> While priests swear that he became lucid in his final day and even asked about his son (the detail greatly used by Lord Anker in the years that followed) there are strong reasons to believe this is a made up story we can recite in a later chapter.
>
> Antoon Eikenaar, second of his name, son of High King Theun ‘the Cruel’, died peacefully according to the official record on the 10th of Tertius 194 NC after ruling since his coronation in 178. He was thirty six years old. He spent almost four of the final years of his reign never leaving his quarters and was buried in a small coffin a week later next to his murdered firstborn son Prince Kasper and Lady Silvie Alden. His presumed second son from the late Queen Nienke Antoon the Third was ‘crowned’ two days later (with Lord Anker staying on as High Regent). With the baby king in Midlanor unable to travel and given the circumstances the event was just a proclamation with no ceremony.
>
> The latter triggered a series of events that shaped the months that followed. The first was that despite desperate efforts to keep them in the capital, the Royal Guard under its commander Sir Kobus Van Eunen marched out of Issir’s Eagle over the Red Bridge and headed for Midlanor.
>
> Princess Elsanne, who was either en route towards Scaldingport or somewhere in the Pirate Reefs at the time, upon been informed of her older brother’s demise declared for the throne herself disputing her nephew’s claim. Her decision caused a severe blow to Lord Anker’s attempts to secure the throne and concentrate on dealing with the Khan’s invasion. The Khan’s army had occupied the ravaged Colle and despite assurances given to the Archduke that the port would be impossible to use soon, had it semi-operational in a month and fully working in six. About fifteen thousand civilians had escaped from Colle and rushed towards Castalor mainly the previous year. The twenty thousand that had remained behind were promptly enslaved by the old Horselord and put to work.
>
> The Princess was to travel to Scaldingport under Lord Ruud’s protection but also accompanied by a large number of pirate ships. While not as large as their professional navy counterparts, the Pirate warships were fully capable of fighting back and were run by very experienced (and of thoroughly criminal character) crews. Amidst them were also a couple of captured or refitted small Brigs (like the Pillager) and even a massive black galleass the Mighty Saracen, easily the biggest warship that operated inside the Shallow Sea that year.
>
> Accompanying Elsanne was Sir Gust’s expeditionary force. The Duke’s son was to return to Jelin after five years bringing with him around six hundred men and Struder’s Company from Castalor. His old friend Robert Van Durren the still living legitimate heir to the high Barony of Badum and the remnants of the First Foot (around eight hundred men) were to make the return journey after six years in exile, along a large number of Blood Raiders from Eikenport. Of these forces loyal to Elsanne, the famed experienced mercenary company called the Gallant Dogs, a large professional army of over a thousand men fully equipped and battle-tested were the first to disembark at Scaldingport a week after the Battle at Even Fork.
>
> The mercenaries poured out of the pirate fleet causing quite the startle at the relatively weakly defended city. The Pirate Fleet left to return to their secret port and the soldiers of Commandant Martel promptly clogged up Scaldingport’s harbor area, booking several hostels, brothels, restaurants for days before camping outside the city’s south gates on the foot of the sloped road leading towards Patience Plateau ‘for exercises.’ The elderly chamberlain Hubert Boss upon spotting the large camp been built from atop the massive Blackcrow’s Pillar parapets immediately messaged Lord Ruud who was overseeing the campaign against Lord Putra’s trapped army.
>
> Several versions of the Clash at Shallow Straits exist today both written by Khanate’s scholars and also accounts penned by Jelin historians. According to Kaltha’s Admiralty records, Rear Admiral Basten Haar misjudged the situation –the term used was that the lookouts ‘got blinded by the illuminated port lights and missed the ships in the water’s shades’. I can’t attest whether its possible one can miss such a great flock of ships or the fire-pits burning on their decks or not. Perhaps the reflection created on the glassy waters got mistaken for an illusion and not reality. We may never know.
>
> Anyways Haar brought the fleet near the waiting Khanate warships lines completely unprepared. Binra-Kot (who commanded about forty war galleys) had expected the Kaltha Fleet and managed a serious blow within the first minutes of the scrap. Haar’s Frigate the Black Prince was stricken by flaming shots (a practice not favored in Jelin) and the Rear Admiral went down with his flagship.
>
> Commodore Stenden who wrote extensively about the engagement reports that amidst the confusion half the fleet continued on towards the firing galleys whilst others tried to turn against the wind and attempt to disengage with some even heading for the safety of Bayspell’s illuminated port. With ships burning or sinking and men drowning all about them a large number of Kaltha’s warships managed to close with the Galleys nullifying their advantage. The Galleys had trouble maneuvering out of position and while Binra-Kot had them setup close to one another this didn’t help when Kaltha’s warships crashed onto them.
>
> The heavily laden with marines Issir warships won the bulk of the engagements on the decks with Scorpio crews firing volleys from point blank range killing friends and foes alike. The outer ships of the Galleys drawn out battle-line attempted to disengage using their oars and engulf the attacking Issirs but it was a slow grueling affair and some of the fire pits used for the catapults built on the castles set a number of them on fire.
>
> With everyone so close together the burning falling masts and blazing sails made the inferno spread out. An hour later almost sixty warships from both sides were burning and another twenty were at the bottom of the sea. Few of the burning ships survived and desperate men dived for the water to save themselves, with Issirs and Horselords still fighting while brushed away by the waves.
>
> It’s impossible to have an accurate independent estimate of the number today other than the official accounts that marked five Issir warships surviving by reaching Shroudcoast later that morning, Stenden’s ship the Hesper amongst them. A number of them surely made it to the nearby Bayspell but got probably overwhelmed by the forces Binra-Kot had occupying the small town port and no survivors were reported. Binra-Kot himself was injured in the scrap but assumed a mythical status amidst his countrymen having won an unlikely victory.
>
> As Admiral Osahar reportedly commented to his son. ‘One more win like this and we’ll be ruined.’
>
> The Shao Na-Lan noble wasn’t jealous of Binra-Kot nor a fool. The Khanate’s Attack Fleet had been left with nine operational galleys and a few captured Brigs. While he had lost thirty one of the Khanate’s best ships, he had at least saved some of the crew (mostly from Shao Na-Lan and the capital) with the casualties reaching around two thousand marines and three thousand slaves.
>
> Kaltha lost forty-three warships in a bleak day (with six captured by the Khanate) but suffered an astonishing body count of close to five thousand killed or captured. Two thousand marines (Caspo O’ Bors most potent fighting force) perished in the engagement. This was the biggest loss of life for the mighty Issir navy since Queen Baltoris and her wyverns had laid waste to Reinut’s Armada two centuries in the distant past. The number there of course mythical for our times with allegedly a hundred and forty large frigates lost and close to thirty thousand people on the Issir side along over twenty thousand civilians living at Eikenport at the time.
>
> Among the lost were the experienced Marine Lieutenant Hakker, the hero of Duck’s Head scrap Captain Nelis Oost and Rear Admiral Basten Haar (the father of Lord Rinus’ wife.)
>
> The blinded from one eye elderly Khan that was in a bad mood since they had informed him (reluctantly) of Lord Putra’s failure to capture Castalor and the blow suffered at Even Fork, along with the army’s slow landings near Colle, stood up from his field throne and walked at the edge of Colle’s docks by himself. He stayed there in silent contemplation for half an hour and finally turned around to reach his warhorse -a trusted servant was always tasked to bring it near the Khan. Burzin climbed on his warhorse and stared at the hushed officers and officials standing a respectful distance away from him, the hint of a smirk on his weathered face.
>
> ‘Now,’ the usually reserved in his words Burzin had told them. ‘They’ll come to fight us like proper men upon open steady ground and they’ll perish screaming like their women.’
>
>
-
Corsair’s Gold yellow sails were slowly unfurling as the nimble warship reached the mouth of the narrow passage through the Pirate Reefs. The ship’s Second Mate ‘Crafty’ or Lucky Trifton depending on the time of day yelled for one of the Bills, Lurd not Jung, to let go of the line guiding the sail faster ‘afore Leona rams her bow up our arse! She’s horny like that!’ which brought a smile on Elsanne’s face. The young Queen realized she knew most of the ship’s crew. Many of the brothers and sisters on the other ships following them.
She stooped over the quarterdeck’s rail, both hands clasping at the slippery wood and looked back to see the ‘Mighty Saracen’ emerging from the thick mist plaguing the narrows. The massive black warship impressive to gaze at especially when it started opening its bigger and more numerous sails one after the other, some of Leona’s calls reaching her ears over the sound of the open seas.
“Give it a good yank mister Hook!” She screamed and Elsanne spotted her, a leg wrapped at the bow sprit, left arm holding a line and half her body over the splashing waves. “We have about two meters of give still me lovelies. We should be going faster is my meaning!” Leona added as they gained on the Corsair’s Gold and she waved her feathered hat at them, a fierce grin on her scarred face.
A sexy face even so, Elsanne thought a little jealous at her ability to run such a big ship and have fun with it.
“Nothing easy about it Little Royal Sister,” Yellow Dawson explained reading her expression and came to stand beside her. “Foxy has skill aplenty and a big drive. It’ll take her far and away but if she doesn’t stop when time comes, it’ll kill her just like it did her father.”
“I think she’s smart enough,” Elsanne replied and she wasn’t really fond of Leona to defend her but the woman had delivered as much as anyone else to her cause.
Dawson grimaced, looking much older than she remembered him but also different in a deeper sense.
“Not like that she ain’t,” he said pursing his mouth.
“How far this old lady brought you?” She asked him teasingly changing the subject and Dawson caressed the wooden rail with a calloused hand for a quiet moment as if thinking it through.
“She served me right for sure, Abrakas as me witness,” he finally said hoarsely and then cleared his throat, fixing the large old hat on his head as the wind picked up and the Corsair’s Gold gained speed.
“KID ARE YE SLEEPING UP THERE?” ‘Bad’ Penny roared interrupting their talk. “Give us a heading! We be moving for an hour fer pity’s sake and I haven’t heard from ye!”
“Are ye blind? It a south eastern wind! Darn sails are full!” Roscoe grunted irate poking his scarfed head from the lookout. Well in his thirties, he was far from a kid but the moniker had stuck with him. He had good eyes for a time, Byron Vail, the aged Quartermaster always said sadly as if he was talking about his sick dog. But he was always bad at everything else.
So Roscoe had made the lookout his home.
Elsanne chuckled with their exchange despite her heart being heavy with the bleak news about the Fleet’s fate. She caught out of the corner of her eye the pirate Captain watching her moved and reached to touch his hand. Her days with the brotherhood had emboldened Elsanne beyond her wildest dreams. Or maybe brought her true character to the surface.
“We are alright our good mister Dawson truly,” she assured him and the pirate captain nodded using a hand to rub his face.
“That ye are. Aye,” he agreed and sucked a deep breath in a little desperately, his eyes on the slowly left behind familiar reefs. “I helped them bring ye to Eplas me lass and it always weighted me conscience that fact.” Dawson added hoarsely with a grimace of discomfort and brought her small hand to his mouth to touch the knuckles on his lips. A very old noble gesture utterly unexpected from him. There were hidden sides to the captain hinting at a very different man than the one described in the stories. “Folk in our line of business have a lot of baggage weighing us down and its naught but Abrakas Gullet under this deck’s boards aye. So when opportunity arises we look to make amends whence we can.”
“I never blamed you for anything mister Dawson,” Elsanne replied informally with a smile. The pirate nodded, reached with a hand and loosened his new yellow sash from his waist. He looped it around Elsanne’s neck once which made Sir Klaas tense up until she signaled for him to relax and then the pirate stood back. She lifted the expensive silk sash over her face with a hand and then used both to tie it around her blowing white hair like a scarf. “There hmm? But now you’re left without one.”
“Never really knew why I got another one, until this moment,” Dawson replied a little surprised himself. “But what’s gifted is never lost, a lass told me once many years back.”
“Gratitude. It’s lovely,” a blushing Elsanne told him and the pirate captain tipped his hat to her with a grin.
“Aye,” he said and stared one last time at the Pirate Reefs. It was like he didn’t expect to return again. Seeing the worry in her face Dawson shook his head, showing a lot of gold teeth in his mouth and added earnestly. “She has one more journey in her I reckon,” Dawson said and looked at Elsanne meaningfully. “But afore that I be finishing what I started all those years back. I brought the ‘Lord’s own blood’ to Eplas and Abrakas as me witness I shall bring ye back safely.”
And he did.
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