Love At Sea: De La en Glässer

Damned monthly flows

There was the sound again and this time he heard it but it was not clear. "Did you hear that?" He turned to his first man. "Hear what?" Macmillan searched the waters in vain. He ran around like a mad dog sniffing for the sweeting smelling bone. "There was a shout like a name being calle-" The loudness of the thunder cut his speech and even he ducked to the ground. Once the atmosphere settled, he stood. He moved back to the railing and looked towards the sea. He saw a drift of wood move slowly on the waters. It was in fact a boat. Then he saw the lassy sitting and waving at him, beckoning him to her. Macmillan shut his eyes tightly and held his head, maybe the cold was getting to him.

Probably he had developed a fever as he had been out in the cold for more than three hours. He turned for the kitchens. "Cap'n?" Cockerell called out. The first man still had his eyes on the moving object on the water. "I reckon that be a galleon." Macmillan ran back for the railings and looked towards the direction Cockerell pointed at. The water was in their favour as it brought the small boat closer to theirs. Macmillan pulled out his telescope with shaking fingers, he prayed to the heavens she was safe but was not in that boat as it looked damaged. His prayer was answered when he saw a dead corpse, probably one dead from starvation. Its head was cracked open by the vultures of the air. "I am sorry cap'n." Cockerell said before walking over to the railing. The captain picked up the blanket and headed for his room, maybe there he could try to sleep that was if sleep was willing to take him.

The constant knocking woke Bernadette up, but she was deathly tried to move her body. A face came into her line of vision. "I was scared you were not going to make it through the nights." A man said. He was short with dirty brown hair. Bernadette took a long look at the room and the many blankets that had been placed on her. She tried to sit but her head had other plans. "For how long have I been here?" She asked as the headache grew stronger. "Some nights. You were cold the day we brought you in. I had my wife and children tend to you." She took another peek and realised she was lying in the only bed of the small room. The rest of the family had used sleeping mats. She jumped up like she had been burned. Her bones ached in protest. "Ahh." She held her head as she swayed on her feet. "Whoa steady there. That might take a while. But I am happy you are in good shape."

Bernadette leaned her head against the wall. "I need to leave. Please do tell me- I am sorry what is your name good sir?" The short man in question brought a bowl of soup and the woman added dried bread to her plate. "I am Peter a local fisher, and this is my wife, Marie." "Oh dear," The woman said. Marie approached Bernadette and held her straight. "We would have to get you clean dear." She looked down her legs and cursed for having heavy flows. "I really do need to go please. I have someone I have to find." Her head was pounding, and her heart was aching, the last she could remember was passing out during the rain. "But dear you are not feeling well, you need to rest."

Bernadette placed a hand on the woman's face. "Please I am begging you." She tried to sound brave, but the words came out as a whisper. "I need to find someone. Is there a ship any ship at all leaving port toady?" "Leaving to where lassy?" Peter asked. "There are two ships this even. One to England and the other to Shoshana." England, she doubted Macmillan would be going back. She had overheard conversations between him and Cockerell about going west to a certain Island and England was not west from where she was. "I have one more question where am I?" This time it was Marie that answered. "Well dear you are at Port Verlan." Horror filled her face. She had floated back to the same port they had sailed from. But then what was the point of going in search of him? He had proven that she was of no use to him. So even if she went back, would he still take her? She doubted but she had to try, the constant nagging in her heart told her to go look for him or was it the nagging in her brain that told her to lie down?

"I need to get on that ship to Shoshana. Can you help me?" Marie looked at the woman dearly. "Lassy- Bernadette is my name." "Bernadette going on ship with men is suicidal. They might throw you over once your sex is discovered or worse use you for their fulfilment." But that Bernadette already knew. "I can go as a lad." Marie shook her head and wanted to argue further but Peter placed a hand to her shoulder. "I have clothes, my boy's clothes. He is a man now so he will not mind and as for the blood." "Do not worry about it." But Bernadette was more than worried.