The Making of Witches

Chapter 11

The moment Lore climbed up the gangplank, she felt something change in the air. There was something charged, electric, and exciting in the atmosphere. She shivered as the cold winds brushed by her bare shoulders and shifted the rope on her shoulder, regripping the coarse material. The ship was vast as they walked out onto the deck and the crowd of people working parted for them as Keelin led her to the base of the main mast where a giant tower of rope netting connected the crow's nest to the base. She strung the ropes through different holes and slots before tying them off at the base of the mast. Lore attempted to do something similar with her rope although her knots were terrible and loose. Keelin clucked at her pitiful abilities and retied the rope within seconds. She stared up and down at Lore and the girl started to feel self-conscious once more.

"What?" She snapped, picking at her nails anxiously before batting her hair away from her face yet again.

"Nothin', girlie. Just thought ye'd 'ave collapsed by now." Lore's brow scrunched in confusion.

"From the ropes? It wasn't that heavy." Heat collected in her cheeks and they began to bloom a soft pink. Keelin shrugged and limped off, shoving open a door that led beneath the deck. She led Lore through a twisting, winding maze of corridors and rooms, each different. They passed the open door of a kitchen, blisteringly hot and filthy from floor to ceiling. She peered within and to her surprise, saw Bruiser bustling around within, carving twenty pounds of dried meat into small pieces before tossing them into a burlap sack which was then kicked into the corner. When he saw her observing him he snarled, waving the knife as she squeaked and fled to catch up with Keelin. Eventually, they made it to a cubby door which when violently opened, revealed a small room. With all the kicking, slamming and violence, Lore couldn't imagine there was a single door in Keelin's life that she had not abused.

The room was so cramped that even the air felt tight and confining. A small bed was shoved between a few barrels of various items and a hook was embedded in the ceiling where Lore supposed a lamp was supposed to hang from. Keelin threw a few items Lore hadn't realised she'd been carrying onto the bed and stabbed a few knives into the wall next to the bed. Lore realised that once again she was going to have to share a bed with this strange girl. It was surprising to Lore how quickly she had adjusted to her new environment. She still hated the situation she was in and she had a looming sense of dread within her knowing that Swift was going to use her for her powers sooner or later, but overall she felt that she was handling everything as best she could.

Keelin marched out of the room once more and climbed through a hatch that lead to the first deck. The ship was almost ready to sail and the crew were starting to take their positions around the deck. Swift whistled sharply and everyone gathered around her as she began to bark orders. Most of it went in through one ear and out through the other but then Keelin elbowed her in the stomach and she began to pay attention.

"Keelin! Take the new blood and yourself up to the crow's nest." Keelin gave a lazy salute and swaggered off to the base of the main mast, Lore following closely. She looped a hand through the rope netting and began to climb. Lore stared at her in shock as she began to crawl higher and higher. The net lurched under her weight and Lore held in a gasp, certain she was going to fall and break her body into a million pieces but somehow she kept climbing upwards.

She unhooked one hand from the net and turned around to face the stunned girl.

"What are ye waiting for, girlie?"

Lore swallowed and looked up again at the vast mast and the tiny railed platform at the top where she was supposed to stand. A shiver ran down her spine. But she felt the watchful eyes of Captain Swift on her back and with a terrified gulp, began the climb. The netting swayed and jerked as she placed her hands over the ropes and pulled. Each time it moved she would suck in sharply and hang on for dear life before realising she wasn't going to fall. Her fear slowly - very slowly - began to dissipate with each movement and soon she had developed a steady rhythm, almost catching up with Keelin. The higher they got, the narrower the netting got and the cold winds bit into her arms and gave her goosebumps all over. Her arms and legs began to feel a faint burn as she continued to climb and her hands became red and scratched as the ropes chafed them. She made the fatal mistake of looking down once and almost let go in fear. But soon she was at the top and Keelin was offering her a hand as she hauled herself into the nest.

It was a small platform that circled the mast, a thin railing separating them from a quick death and a tiny lantern hung from above them, unlit. Keelin was already leaning over the railing and breathing in the salty sea air, a soft smile on her face. It was almost childlike, so full of innocence and joy. Lore didn't dare touch the rail as she felt the boat sway slightly in the waves and clung onto the mast for dear life.

"Oh, come on, girlie, it ain't that bloody terrifyin'." She joked, leaning against the rails as Lore's eyes widened in fear.

"Oh, it is that bloody terrifying. Why are we up here?" She whimpered, hair flying in the wind. Keelin shrugged.

"Someone hasta' man the nest. I'm real good at dat, and yer stuck with me so get used to it, girlie." Lore took a few deep breaths and took a cautious step towards the rail. One look over at the vast rolling sea below had her scurrying backwards towards the mast. Her heart was racing so fast she thought it would never stop and once again she had to focus on deep breathing. Once her heart rate was somewhat under control she took another cautious peek over the railing. Although her fear rocketed once more she forced herself to keep looking, to keep focusing on the stable deck and the calm waves and how secure the mast was. I am fine, she told herself, I am not going to fall, I am not going to fall, I am not going to fall... She kept on repeating that mantra in her head until eventually she could start believing it. Until eventually the sight of the sea over the nest didn't make her sick to her stomach. She watched the sea with Keelin and let her fear wash over her calmly.

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Much later, it was finally ready for the Crooked Skull to set sail and the Captain yelled for the anchors to be hauled up. A low hum started in the back of the boat as people began to flock there behind Swift who was taking the wheel. The sails were opened out and the winds propelled them along, filling the sails as the ship began to move. Lore turned back to watch the docks as they left, watching her last chance at freedom slowly slip away. She watched the docks until her eyes grew heavy and the sun slowly disappeared over the horizon, thinking of her previous life. She could never go back. She was as wanted as a pirate, she had no friends and her home was gone, yet some part of her still cried as she watched it slip away. It was the last piece of her old life and now it was gone, barely a faded shape on the horizon. A single tear slipped down her face before she turned back to watch the sea with Keelin. Everything was gone now. She had no choice but to rebuild.