The Pirate's Legacy: New Identities

Chapter 19: Awaiting Fair Winds

A fourth of the men were missing after the attack, either by being eaten or dying inadvertently by the sea monster. The diminished number wasn't a pressing dilemma. Everyone would pull double shifts to offset the losses. The woodwork was another story. In some places on the third deck, the woodwork was cracked. Black tar caulked the cracks, but if The Jolly Roger was caught up in an intense storm, nothing could guarantee that the damage underneath the dried tar wouldn't split open further.

After the attack, Dread Pirate Robin ordered round-the-clock watches for extra precaution. The sea monster may be gone for the time being, but that didn't mean they were safe from something else that would try to finish off them and the ship. They were taking the Trade Winds to the north side of Tarym where Cola Port was located. Traveling would take a week because the Trade Winds, which both merchants and pirates alike used to facilitate travel between Tarym and Politicka, were not as strong during this time of the year.

Meanwhile, the delegate distracted himself from his seasickness by showing interest in the ship's inner and outer workings. Sometimes, he would interrupt men to question them about their task, all of which annoyed the captain. Had not the first mate pointed out certain advantages of having the delegate preoccupied with matters that didn't pertain to the captain's relationship with the princess of Tarym, Roger was very sure he would have been tempted to kill the delegate in his sleep. The bald part-time cook, part-time doctor down below in the galley was not spared such eager questions, but unlike his reluctant comrades, he returned the favor with equally enthusiastic answers. It became a common occurrence during mealtimes for Diamante to hold up the food line—to the hungry crewmen's ire—just to chat with Joshua about medical procedures and cures, old and new, while close beside him, Daryl listened intently.

When the young boy wasn't performing his usual menial tasks with his brother, he stuck close to Diamante's side, answering questions about the ship and a sailor's life, and if he didn't have a satisfactory response, he'd direct the delegate to someone who would give one. The older man was very pretentious at times, but Daryl parried by using dry wit that almost bordered on insolence. Though he didn't admit this aloud, he enjoyed learning new things from the delegate. His brother sensed this, much to his increasing irritation and slight jealousy. To attest to his growing resentment, Craig put his free time energies into making the delegate the butt of his practical jokes. Like the time Em first started out on The Jolly Roger, no one interfered. Everyone, Em included, was just glad Craig no longer targeted them. Daryl couldn't stop his brother because not only his interference would be an admission that he was growing fond of the delegate, but it would feed into his twin's jealousy. Although he tried to save Diamante on a few potentially embarrassing and public occasions, he couldn't be at the delegate's side all the time.

MMMMMM

When it was her turn in the crow's nest the third night after the attack, Em sat on a rung of the starboard side shroud with the Mermaid's Tear cupped in her hands. She had decided on pure impulse to sneak it out of the captain's quarters. She'd needed to find a reminder of her happier days, before everything had fallen apart between her and Roger.

Em sniffed and managed a watery smile as an image of a large turtle-lion tucking her baby cub underneath her wide fin flitted past her vision. On the other side of the ship, the captain emerged from the hatch. He saw the back of her and heard her soft sniffles in the quiet night air. When he realized he was taking a step toward her, he stopped dead in his tracks and mentally berated himself for being so weak. He turned on his heel and started toward his captain's quarters. A glint in Em's cupped hands caught the corner of his eye as he was within a foot from the double doors.

"You shouldn't take what's not yours, Princess."

Em yelped. She shot out her free hand to grab onto the shroud and her other hand pressed the Mermaid's Tear to her pounding heart. She looked over her shoulder. Roger stared at her stonily from the main deck. She snapped her head forward and tried to dry her face surreptitiously. "Well, you shouldn't sneak up on people, especially when they're dangling over the edge of a ship," she retorted. "Besides, I helped find this. I have the same rights of possession as you do."