Sirius had been going over the maps while tight-lipped silver-haired, Pierre steered the ship only a few metres away. He’d take back over in a sec, when Pierre took a break but it was important that they get their course right. It had been awhile since Sirius had last cast off from Little Rock and some of these waters could be troublesome.

He was still pouring over the maps when Shiv walked in followed by two larger crewman holding a short red-headed woman between them.

Sirius stood up as Shiv stopped before him.

“We found her in the hold.”

“What is she?” Sirius asked. It was a question that would have under normal circumstances been considered impolite, but then this was neither polite society nor normal circumstances.

“She didn’t use her powers as far as I could tell.” Shiv replied. “So either she’s saving them up or she’s no danger.”

Sirius studied the woman. She glared back fiercely.

“How’d she get on board?”

“Dunno Captain, she was in with that bumbling fool they put on with the animals, or at least that’s where she came running out of. Perhaps we should ask him?”

Sirius frowned. They’d better not have been tricked into shipping any more live cargo, especially not of the … His frown deepened. Could she be a human?

“Where are you from?” he asked her finally.

She never dropped her eyes. For a second he found himself almost mesmerized by them. Big, brown, and unblinking.

She lifted her chin ever so slightly. “You have my father’s pegasus. I want it back.”

Sirius blinked. “Your father’s pegasus?” he repeated.

“The black one in the hold, it was stolen. I’m here to get it back.”

Sirius studied her and then glanced at Shiv to see what he thought. Shiv was staring at her with the same look Sirius was sure that he’d had on his own face a moment ago, uncertainty.

It wasn’t uncommon for a lot of what they shipped to be stolen goods. While he did have some hard lines that he didn’t cross Sirius often charged extra to not ask certain questions. That said, if she didn’t have proof of ownership well there were just as many people claiming false theft as there were real thieves, hell many were one and the same.

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“I’m not leaving until you give it back,” Amanda said when the captain didn’t speak.

That earned a chuckle from one of the two captors behind her.

Only the one though but Amanda could swear she saw the corner of the captain’s mouth curl up slightly as if he too found the idea amusing. She supposed it was. Most people probably didn’t make demands when they found themselves captured. They just begged. Well surprise could be a tactic. She’d noticed that reaction too, the moment she’d walked in.

“What’s your name?” the captain asked.

She considered asking him what his was first but felt that might be pushing it, Besides familiarity might work in her favor. The captain hadn’t been what she’d expected. Yes he was huge, at least a whole foot taller than herself and he was obviously physically fit, not the type to leave the hard work to just his crew. But Amanda had been taught to look past the obvious, playing a good game of poker meant seeing the person underneath. And what she saw in his eyes and in the subtle movements in his face hadn’t been anger or cruelty but confusion, maybe even kindness. It was hidden well, aided by a mop of messy dark hair and solidly-grown beard, not to mention the intimidating physique, but it was there. Amanda wasn’t always right but she was often close. And so like she had many a time before she took a gamble on it.

“Amanda,” she replied. She softened her voice slightly but kept the confidence, even though striking the right balance was difficult when there were two large men holding her by the arms. She left her last name off, least one of them know who her father was. It could have added weight, maybe even intimidated them a little, but it also might have tipped them off about her powers and her father had as many enemies as he did friends. She also got the sense that this encounter wasn’t going to be won with intimidation, not directly anyway.

“Where are you from?”

“Little Rock, Greenstone Valley.”

He nodded slightly.

“You’re a witch?” he asked.

“Almost certainly with that hair colour,” the dark-haired telekinetic, and the one who had led the others remarked. “Even ignoring that, not many humans around here, and I didn’t see any fangs so she ain’t a vamp.”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Amanda didn’t reply. The next question would undoubtedly be about what her powers were. It would be easier to stall on the current question. She thought of telling him that was a personal question but she didn’t think she would get away with it. Best to just keep quiet. The same thing her father had told her to do if she ever got picked up by the cops.

Luckily the captain didn’t fixate on it. He did however turn to the dark-haired telekinetic and remark, “Hair colour ain’t a guarantee.”

The man gave a shrug.

“You got proof that pegasus is yours?” the captain asked Amanda.

It was the first time she looked away and that was answer enough.

Sirius turned to the crewmen who held her. “Put her in the brig, keep her hands tied for now.”

It was a sensible precaution, many witches used their hands to perform their magic. It was a strong magic-welder who could perform without a gesture of some sort, and stronger still one who could do it without eye contact. As such Amanda was surprised that he hadn’t also suggested a blindfold. Not that it mattered to her, she didn’t need her hands or her sight to burn through a rope. She hoped it would be a rope. She’d burnt through metal before but she hadn’t quite mastered the art of keeping the rest of the metal cool while doing so.

The two men who held her arms hauled her out of the cabin leaving the dark-haired telekinetic behind with the captain.

Amanda didn’t argue. Instead she took in her surroundings once more. On the way up to the bridge Amanda had been escorted out on to the deck and then up some more stairs. Even in the bridge there had been windows in every direction. But inside she had been focused on the captain. It wasn’t until they were coming out of the bridge however that she managed to get a good look at where they were. Her heart sank as she realised there was no sign of land in any direction. They were well and truly out at sea.

After they tied her hands to a post they searched her pockets, not that there was much to find, some cards and a lighter she had no need of. Sometimes she liked to practice her powers on real flame because it was easier and it helped improve control. It served another purpose now. No one would expect a firestarter to carry a lighter. She was fond of it though, it was one of those flip top ones, gold in colour and baring a 3D image of a coiled python. She hoped they’d give it back. It had been a present from her dad.

They were surprisingly gentle with their searching. As a female alone and hostage on what she figured was essentially a pirate ship she’d expected them to take the opportunity to cop a feel but they were more than respectful, only putting their hands where they needed to. They spent most of their time on her ankles and waist where her clothing was looser, and they didn’t bother patting her down more than an inch above the knees, nor did they bother to check her bra. She wasn’t sure if she should be glad that she hadn’t bothered to take the time to strap on even a dagger this morning. When you could set people on fire with your mind it wasn’t really necessary for more than sending a message. That and the rare possibility of running into a hostile borrower or binder who could make her magic useless. Preparing for that sort of situation would be like preparing for sunburn in a cave though.

One of the men smiled and waved the cards at the other. She wondered if they were twins. They weren’t identical but they looked so alike that she was sure they must at least be brothers. They both had light brown hair, not overly thick. They were big guys, not at tall as the captain but a little rounder and just as muscly. They had pudgy faces and small hazel-green eyes. The only overly distinguishing features that differed between the two was the long scar on the left cheek of right-hand man and silver earring in the right ear of the left-hand man.

“Do you play cards?” she asked reaching for anything that might put her on good terms with these men. She got the sense she could maybe talk her way out of this.

But the guy with the earring just laughed. She recognised him as the one who had laughed earlier at her refusal to leave without the pegasus.

The one with the scar eyed her warily. He just pocketed the cards and turned and walked toward the door. “Come on Alice,” he called without turning.

The other man stopped laughing and followed.

“I’ll bet you twenty I can outplay you,” Amanda called after them in hope of goading them to come back. But they stayed gone and she was alone.

Sure they’d tied her with rope she could burn her way out of in seconds but where would she go? Even if she managed to get to the pegasus, and get him out, she still wasn’t sure he was rideable. Best to save her powers until she really needed them.

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“Having a woman on board the ship is unlucky,” Pierre said with a look over his shoulder as he adjusted the ship’s wheel a tad to starboard.

“Especially a red-head. It’s not a good sign,” Shiv added.

Sirius sighed and rubbed his head. “You lot are a bunch of superstitious cats.”

“Hey, no cats on this ship either.” Pierre remarked. “Cats are also bad luck.”

“I thought that was just the black ones?” Shiv replied.

Pierre shook his head and glanced over his shoulder again. “Nah the black ones are the lucky ones, as long as they stay on the shore and they don’t cross your path on a full moon.”

Sirius stared out at the sea for an exceptionally long moment as their chatter faded into the background. Eventually he held up his hands. “Boys!”

They looked at him expectantly. The deliberate use of the word ‘boys’ at two men who both greatly out-aged their captain was not lost on either of them.

“How did she even get on this ship?” he asked.

“Probably snuck on in one of those crates,” Shiv suggested. “That’s what I’d do if I were sneaking on to a ship. Isn’t that how you first joined this crew, by sneaking on to the ship? How’d you do it?”

“Went up the boardwalk when no one was looking,” Sirius replied thoughtfully.

“Really?” Pierre asked over his shoulder. “No wonder the last captain didn’t last long.” He gave a glance a Shiv who’d been a crewman back then.

“Don’t look at me like that, I wasn’t on duty that night,” Shiv replied. “And I was pretty fresh cut myself, that must have been what? Five years ago now?”

“Three, almost four,” Sirius replied.

“What really?” Shiv seemed genuinely surprised. “Feels like more.”

“You been spending too long at sea.” Sirius chuckled. He gave the man a slap on the back as he walked out of the bridge.

“Where are you going?” Shiv called after him.

“To talk to our animal expert,” Sirius replied without looking back.

“He missed a great joke there,” Shiv told Pierre as if he’d just come up with something brilliant. “He coulda said he was going to ask a man about a horse.”

“Maybe if he head was in the privy like yours.”

“You mean if his head was in the head.” Shiv laughed loudly at his own joke.

Pierre just groaned.

Shiv carried on chuckling to himself.