Bedelth the Orange (Dragonwall Series #5)

Chapter 6 - Facing a Storm

Dragonfire Sea

Bennett ignored the sight of the Scattered Islands shrinking behind him. He stood at the helm, looking ahead, never behind. Opportunity called. All around him, the deck of the Lady Faith was a bustle of activity. The crew rushed about, managing the sails and rigging as they made their way to open water. Still near enough to land, the air was thick with the smell of rotting fish and salt, complemented by the cloudy sky, turning harsh rays diffuse.

Nearly five days had passed since departing from the drop point, since agreeing to Lord Bedelth's task. Now they were headed to Oshea at the king's request. The country lay across the Dragonfire Sea. It would take two weeks to get there, if they judged the winds correctly and made good time; it was important they did. According to Lord Bedelth, something was happening there, something that concerned Dragonwall. If the king wanted additional eyes and ears on the matter, then it must have been a serious concern.

He'd been offered good money for the job. So, to Oshea they'd go. Once they arrived, their work would begin—Cat's work, more specifically. He was relying on her pretty looks, mage abilities, and charm—feigned charm, obviously, since she wasn't a pleasure to be around—to gather intel.

Then they would return to Dragonwall.

He was more anxious than he let on. Oshea was a place he often avoided. He'd been born there, but felt no ties to the country. Still, money was money, and the king payed well.

As planned, he'd stopped off in the Scattered Islands beforehand. One last hurrah for his crew to blow off steam before getting stuck aboard the ship for an extended period. With part of the funds Lord Bedelth provided, they'd loaded the hull to bursting with supplies. Food and water, some ale for the harder days, extra supplies to repair the ship, should they run into a storm, and other cargo to maintain their ruse. The Lady Faith sat low in the water.

And yes, he'd gotten the list of items Cat had requested. He snorted, just thinking about it. Jonah, his first mate, turned to him, eyes searching. "Everything okay, Captain?"

"Oh, aye. Just godsdamn splendid," he growled, keeping his eyes on the activity above deck.

He hadn't been happy about the shopping trip, for which Cat had insisted on accompanying him. Turned out, the items on her list were damned expensive. After paying for the third item, he'd thrown her an accusing glare, as if to say she'd done it on purpose. She'd merely lifted a brow and shrugged. "It costs what it costs, Captain," she'd added. "You do want me to take care of your crew, do you not?"

It was her crew too, even if she didn't want to admit it.

She'd left him muttering under his breath, but he'd let it go, used the funds from the Shield to get what they needed. He hated to admit that she was right. Getting what was needed to help the crew would make things better. A healthy crew was a happy crew. Besides, he prided himself on being a good captain.

Speaking of Cat...he scanned the bodies on deck. "She's below," Jonah said, knowing who he sought. "Probably organizing and reorganizing and agonizing over all her new supplies, conjuring up all sorts of wicked concoctions. I'm thinking I might invent some ailment just as an excuse for treatment. Gods know, most of the crew will do exactly that, just to get her hands on them."

He snorted. "I hate to think it, but you might be right."

"Oh, aye, I am," Jonah said, throwing him a knowing grin. Dimples appeared in the man's cheeks.

His damned crew was smitten. He pulled his spyglass from his pocket, extended it, then held it to his eye. Open water stretched before them, and above it, far along the horizon, a mass of dark clouds. He didn't like the look of the storm they were headed towards. It wasn't the worst thing he'd seen. He'd been caught in some nasty ones, but it would certainly require careful effort. Collapsing the glass, he returned it to his pocket.