I can think of many great pirates who began their quest as a stowaway. One of the most legendary in fact, was a boy wearing a straw hat. He dreamed of being a king—King of the Pirates.
-Quoted from the Lorekeeper of Lyr
The shadow picked up speed as it fell and at first Rose thought the man had misjudged his landing. She should’ve had more faith.
A deep thud echoed across the bay as Trent smashed into the deck. So great was the force of his landing that the ship leaned almost forty-five degrees to port—Rose had to cling to the wheel to stay upright.
On the bounce back it leaned even further to starboard and her feet left the safety of the deck as she held onto the spokes of the wheel for dear life. It took her a few seconds of hurried breathing to recover once the ship had stilled.
Muffled cracks and bangs from the top of the cliffs broke the spell. Whoever had been chasing after Trent was loath to let the brilliant buccaneer escape.
Rose had an endless cascade of questions to throw at him, but there was an order to be observed. She was nothing if not polite—her mother had raised her that way. “Are you alright, you crazy bastard?” she yelled.
“Never-” she heard a spluttering cough from the main deck. “Better. That was quite exciting. It’s been a while since I had some proper fun.” The tapping of feet against wood reached her ears and the man himself appeared from the shadows.
At the top of the steps, he turned and waved at the cliffs. “A fantastic chase, ladies and gentlemen, but once again I emerge victorious and relatively unharmed,” he yelled. “Until next time!”
Rose burst into laughter. She never knew whether to take the pirate seriously, but she felt a weight lifting from her shoulders—it was great to see him safe and sound.
Having confirmed his safety, she would no longer hold back. “Please tell me you didn’t blow up a city just to cause a distraction. I don’t want a murderer as my captain,” she said, her eyes a turbulent clash of hope and despair.
Trent threw his hands into the air and opened his mouth wide in faux horror. “Of course not, my dear Rose! How could you think so little of me?” he gasped.
She breathed a sigh of relief. For a while she’d been worried that his character until now had been a facade; a performance to deceive her into stealing a ship for him.
“I didn’t blow up a city just to cause a distraction. I blew it up to steal this,” he declared, revealing a whorl and turning it to face her. “And pissing off the local nobility is always a delightful delicacy. Nothing gets the loins burning like seeing a braggadocious Baron frothing at the mouth.”
The dull whining in her ears returned. Rose scrunched her face in frustration.
“Hey, don’t get the wrong idea. The bastard I stole this from deserved it. And I really, really needed a new arm. I enjoyed the challenge, but it was becoming rather tiresome having to buckle my belt one-handed after taking a piss. And the Countess missed the extra set of fing-”
Trent’s voice trailed off in the midst of recounting his exploits. Rose had levelled her pistol at his forehead and cocked the hammer. Her finger quivered on the trigger.
“How many innocent civilians died just so you could… mess around with some noblewoman and steal some loot?” said Rose, her hand shaking and voice strained.
“Sorry. I took the joke a little far, Rose. The explosion looked worse than it was, and no one was hurt. No one who didn’t deserve it, anyway.” Trent lowered his hands to his chest and held his palms outwards. “Put the pistol away, I’m not a monster.” He started taking measured steps towards her.
Rose squeezed the trigger ever so slightly.
Trent froze, caught in the middle of a step—and a breath. “Okay, I admit—perhaps I didn’t need to sleep with the Baron’s wife and blow up his estate, but he’s a horrible bastard. And he’ll recover from the burns eventually. He can afford it. If you knew the awful things he’s done to his citizens you wouldn’t feel an ounce of pity for him. No one else was caught in the blast, so stop being a fool and put the gun away. I might be a fearsome pirate, but I’m not a Murderer,” he spat, levelling a cold glare at Rose that made her wince.
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She tucked the pistol back in her waistband with a shaking arm. Rose had put up a front, but she had feared the worst. The tears streamed down her face and she threw herself at the man, pulling him into a hug. “Idiot.”
“Indeed, I’m the Pantheon’s perfect idiot. You on the other hand? You’re absolutely magnificent. Look at this beauty,” he said, waving an arm around the ship. “You stole her all by yourself. You’ve got a fantastic career ahead of you. And I already have our first stop ready.” All the venom had faded, replaced with his permanently smug grin.
The crack of gunfire and the soft splash of bullets soon faded and the cliffs of Derridas shrank. They became a distant smudge on the horizon, barely noticeable amidst the dark of night save for the orange glow of flames—courtesy of Trent.
He looked down at the girl sleeping in his arms. She was still a child, but she’d chosen her course and he wouldn’t be able to dissuade her—no matter how terrifying he knew the oceans could be. All he could do was guide her and hope she made it out the other side.
***
Rose woke up to the sound of water splashing against the hull and the rigging jostling in the breeze. She was lying on a scrunched up sail. I fell asleep while hugging Trent. Her cheeks warmed. She slapped them.
“Morning, sleepyhead. Seems as though all that heisting did a number on you,” chuckled Trent. “I have to say though, you’re a natural.”
“Did you steer us through the night?” Rose stood up and stretched her hands above her head with a loud yawn. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to doze off.”
“Not a problem at all, dear Rose. A growing girl needs her beauty sleep. And I rather enjoy the serenity of sailing at night.”
“You said you had our first stop planned out. Where are we headed?”
“Eastfel Bay. We need to pick up some supplies—and another member of the crew. You don’t have an official role yet, by the way. What’s your specialty? Any unique talents?”
They were interrupted by the click of a rifle’s hammer and soft steps on the deck. “She’s a rather talented traitor.”
Rose recognised the voice instantly. Her eyes flicked from Trent to the top of the wooden steps and her tears fell freely. “Thank Sylack. I thought you were dead, Felix,” sobbed Rose.
He seemed shocked at her reaction and lowered the rifle a little, but then his gaze hardened once more and he raised it up, flicking the end of the barrel between her and Trent. “I suppose you thought the Captain was dead too? Or did you just feel like helping yourself to his ship? After everything we did for you, I expected more,” he spat.
“Dearie me, this ship belonged to the Bradshawe brat? I have to say that does make me feel a little guilty. Two ships in what—a week? A month?” chuckled Trent, seemingly oblivious to the gun pointed at his chest.
“Is this a joke to you, pirate bastard? Was it you who made her steal the ship?” Felix’s face was turning redder by the second. “Speak or I’ll put a bullet in your skull,” he said, lifting the rifle to Trent’s face.
“Felix, stop this nonsense. Trent didn’t make me do anything. It’s always been my dream to be a pirate. This was my only shot at achieving that dream. I promise I’ll pay the captain back and we’ll drop you off at our first stop,” said Rose, advancing towards Felix with each word she spoke until the barrel of the gun was pushing against her chest.
She felt it shaking. He was scared. Rose moved quicker than he could react, grabbing the barrel and wrestling it to the side, then kneeing Felix in the gut.
He doubled over, coughing and spluttering, and the rifle fell from his grip. Rose tossed it to Trent, who slung it over his shoulder. The smirk hadn’t dropped from his face once during the entire ordeal.
“Old friend?”
“You could say that,” replied Rose. She hauled Felix to his feet and pulled him into a hug. He resisted at first, but then melted into her embrace. “I missed you,” she whispered.
“I missed you too, beautiful girl.” His face went beyond red, turning shades of purple.
Rose cackled as he spluttered, eyes wide.
“That’s not what I-”
“Oh, I really missed your rambling, Felix. Now, what do you think about joining our crew? Imagine the adventures we could have together!”
His gaze turned serious, the clumsy boy gone in an instant. “And become a pirate? Over my dead body. I can’t believe you were hiding this all along. Why would you want to be a criminal?”
“A criminal? I guess…” Rose flicked him on the forehead and his eyes raged with fury, then settled to bubbling discontent. “That’s not really the essence of piracy. It's the freedom.”
Felix looked confused. Trent’s smirk flickered into a real smile, but only for a second.
“Freedom to sail wherever your heart desires. To live at the whims of the ocean, whether she’s serene or roiling with anger. And the adventures; the discoveries! There’s nothing greater.”