Sea of Lies

Chapter 6

1712

"Denis?" A woman's voice called. She stood out on the porch of her home. The cool summer breeze carried the smell of saltwater through the air. Her oldest son sat on a chair, watching his little sister run around with her dolls.

The woman sighed, stuck her head back in through the front door, and called out the boy's name again. He soon came running down the stairs. He stopped in front of her and smiled.

"Come on. Your father should be returning home soon. We need to get to the docks." She held out her hand. The boy took the woman's hand, his head at about her waist, and they walked down the steps.

It wasn't long until the salty smell got stronger and the sound of waves crashing against the wooden boats were heard. The oldest looked around at the ships.

"I don't see him," He mumbled as he looked over at his mother. She looked around again. She smiled as she recognized a man climbing down from one of the ships. She pulled her children over to him.

"What are you doing all the way down here?" She laughed as she walked up to him. The man spun around and smiled. He kissed his wife on the cheek before turning to his children. He started with his daughter, lifting her up and throwing her in the air.

"You've gotten big haven't you, Elise?" He chuckled. The little girl giggled and pulled her fathers hat down in front of his eyes.

"Daddy, you've got a pretty feather in your hat!" She reached out for it. Her father gently pulled her hand down. He handed Elise to his wife.

"It's for Noah," He pulled the feather out from the cloth wrapped around the base of his hat. It was green with a blue circle at the end. The feather shone in the sunlight. He handed it to the oldest. "It's a peacock feather. You can add it to your collection."

"Thank you," Noah smiled and looked the feather over. He showed it to Elise as she leaned over to get a better look. Their father ruffled through his satchel. He pulled out a beautiful pink bow with pearls at the center. He put it in his daughter's hair.

"I found this bow in a Swedish market. It looks beautiful on you, Sweetheart." He said. Elise reached up and played with the silk in her hair as she smiled at her father. He looked down at Denis.

He looked through his bag again. Denis stepped closer to see what it was. His father smiled and dropped a dagger into the little boy's hands. The blade was as large as his palm.

"Henry!" The boy's mother gasped. "He's nine! He can't have a weapon!" Denis smiled and held the dagger out, watching the sunlight reflect off of it and onto the ground.

"What? I'll make sure he doesn't cut himself."" His father laughed. He took his tricorn hat off and stuck it on Noah's head. It fell in front of his face. His father lifted the hat out of his eyes. He looked back at Denis.

"And of course every good pirate needs a right-hand man."

4 years later. 1716

Denis sat on a crate overlooking the ocean below him. The waves were quiet and the sky was clear.

"Denis! Noah!" His father called. Denis climbed down from the crate and ran up to the wheel where his father stood. His older brother joined him. 

His father bent down and pointed to a tiny island. "See that there?" He asked. The boys nodded. "That's the Resnein Islands. There's magic creatures that live there." Their eyes lit up. His father stood up right and grabbed the wheel again. He looked down at the crew on the deck.