The Queen of the Waves

16: the Gut Instinct

Bas stalked around the ship, his gut was telling him that something was wrong. The ship moved through the waves differently, everything was heavy, everything was wrong.

"Louis!" Bas called as he headed back to where he left Mara, "Where is she? Where's Mara?"

His eyes scanned the ship frantically, he couldn't see Mara, couldn't hear her voice and it stuck terror in his heart.

"It's ok, sir, she's down here."

Bas walked closer to him and looked down at where Louis' eyes were staring. Mara was curled up in a ball on the deck, the blanket thrown over her shoulders. Bas could tell by the way her chest was moving, that Mara was asleep.

He chuckled and smiled down at her, before bending down and lifting Mara from the ground. She stirred slightly but her eyes remained closed, Bas slowly walked back towards the cabin,

Mara felt the motion of being in his arms and opened her eyes.

"Hey," she smiled up at him as he smiled down at her, "can you put me down please."

"Of course." Bas moved quickly as he placed her back on her feet. Without thinking, he kissed her forehead making Mara blush for the first time in her life.

"I think I need to take a nap," Mara mumbled sleepily, "I'm really tired."

Bas nodded and gently placed his hand on her lower back, the butterflies began fluttering in her stomach.

"That sounds good," Bas walked Mara to the cabin, his eyes furtively glancing around the ship, there was definitely something wrong, the men were quiet and strange.

As Mara's hand touched the door handle, a thud came from inside the cabin. Bas moved before Mara could breathe, pushing her behind him.

When a cry came from the room, Bas slammed the door open to find his Captain, his best friend with a knife clutched to his throat, surrounded by a dozen of his treacherous men.

"No," Mara cried as she pushed past Bas and saw Ciaran holding Bayen's fate in his hands.

Ciaran's smirk grew in power as he saw Mara's face fall in fear.

"Hello Mara, you didn't forget about my plans for you."

"You bastard," roared Bayen, struggling against the arms holding him still. Bayen was such a big man, it took 2 of Ciaran's traitorous men to keep him still.

"Mara," Bas said slowly, as he stepped in front of her, "you need to leave."

"No!" She exclaimed firmly, "I'm not going anywhere."

Ciaran laughed and snapped his fingers, from the shadows of the cabin a man stepped forwards and blocked the exit to the cabin with the slam of a door.

In just a second, Bas and Mara were trapped in a nightmare surrounded by dangerously deluded and angry men.

"So Mara," drawled Ciaran as Bas was grabbed from behind and pushed to the floor, he roared and bucked but a boot pressing his cheek to the wooden floor prevent him from doing anything but struggle.

"'Mara," Ciaran continued, "all this," he gestured at Bayen and Bas with a vicious smirk, "could go away, if you admit that you're a witch who has bewitched our Captain."

"What?" Mara spluttered in disbelief, she knew that Ciaran was unhinged, but this unhinged? Even Mara was at a loss for words.

"I'm not a witch!" Mara yelled as Bas yelled and cried out as a sickening crunch came from the twisting of his arm.

"Mara," Bayen struggled and his face was contorted with pain, "say nothing, they'll drown you!"

Mara swallowed hard, her hands shaking. She knew that if she admitted to using spells, no one could save her. She'd either be thrown from the ship and drowned, or taken to Andonia and burned.

"Shut it!" Hissed Ciaran, jamming his knife deeper into Bayen's throat.

"Mara, if you don't admit you're what you are, a temptress whore, I will kill your precious Captain."

Mara felt tears trickle down her cheeks, it was her life for his, and she was happy to do it.

"Fine..." her voice broke and her shoulder hung, defeated.

"No! No Mara!" Bas called, his voice muffled by the leather boat.

Bayen looked in Mara's eyes and desperately shook his head, his eyes pleaded with her, but Mara was strong. She would burn or drown to protect Bayen, to protect Bas.

Mara squared her shoulders and stood up tall, she allowed that evil glint to appear in her eyes as she cast them threateningly around the men filling the room.

"Yes, I'm a witch, now let Bayen go."

Ciaran's eyes lit up, all he needed was Mara to confess in front of enough sailors for the rumour to lead to her death.

Mara watched in horror as the knife around Bayen's throat slashed through his skin.

Mara's screams filled the cabin as she watched the blood spurt from the wound.
Bayen's eyes grew wide in shock as his body slumped to the floor.

Pushing away hands, Mara dashed over to him and clutched her hands, stemming the blood.

"Bayen," she begged, "Bayen, Bayen please. You can't.... You can't leave me!"

Mara searched for Bayen's pulse, for promise that her father hadn't left her again, but his eyes were glazed over... and she knew his was gone.

"No!"

Mara's shrieks filled Bas with pain as he watched the blood of his friend soak into the wood of the ship. Their eyes met and Bas sobbed, Bayen was gone.

Ciaran's laugh echoed around the cabin as he watched Mara sob into his chest.

Mara's blood slowed as her palm touched on the dagger Ciaran had carelessly let fall to the ground after murdering Bayen.

She stood, the dagger dripping blood onto the floor as she clutched it in her palm. Bas watched in disbelief as Mara turned her attention to the nearest man guarding the door.

"Ciaran," her voice was laced with a dangerous venom that sent a chill down Bas' spine, "you wanted me to be a witch, but you were wrong. I'm not a witch, I'm a warrior."

With a hiss of contempt, she flicked her wrist and sent the dagger into the throat of Jack. He chocked on his blood as Mara dashed towards him, pulling both the dagger from his throat and the sword from his side.

Mara slashed and ripped through the flesh of the men who had killed her father. When she advanced towards Ciaran, Bas felt the blood return to his legs.

The first knife entered his shoulder, pining him against the wall with the force of Mara's rage, he howled in pain.

"Mara, no!" Bas called, but Mara was in a blood lust frenzy, no words could reach her now, only vengeance.

She screamed and the sobs caught in her throat, Bas caught her and pulled her into his arms. They both sunk to the floor as Mara howled in remorse. Her hands were drenched in blood, splatters up her neck and face.

Bas held her even tighter and began to rock, the tears chocked down her face as Mara stared at the lifeless form of Bayen. The bloodied remains of the other men littered the floor around them, but Mara was only looking at one.

Ciaran finally managed to pull the knife from the muscles of his shoulder. Realising that all he had now was declaring Maras's confession of witchcraft to the other sailors, Ciaran made a dash for the door.

Despite Mara's distress, her training was too wired into her mine. She watched Ciaran run away from her and she knew what she had to do. Fingering the blade of the sword lovingly, she waited until Ciaran got his taste of freedom and hope before she threw the blade.

It sliced through Ciaran's achilles' tendon and he dropped to the floor. With Ciaran finally incapacitated, Mara closed her eyes and collapsed against Bas as she screamed with anguish.

Once again, Mara was alone, but she was free.