OUTSIDE NASSAU, APRIL 1695
Moonlach was learning quickly. Not least in thanks to Venegaza's own knowledge that she was eager to pass on. Yes she was that vain. Not that it mattered much in the grand scheme of things. Troubador was more than happy to approve Moonlach's entrance into the Brethren fleet and ordered Venegaza to train the youngster. Usually, pirates came to be later in their careers when they had seen the way of the world. To have a ship so young in their midst to train was a rare opportunity. Venegaza had noticed more than one Pirate Queen staring jealously at her when they thought she wasn't looking.
No concerns about how Moonlach had taken to piracy. She absolutely loved the life. And looked up to her mentor in equal measure. She was Venegaza's little shadow, following the Blackwall frigate around everywhere. Which was a good thing because Venegaza absolutely needed the backup right now.
The pair were off Nassau, using the shelter of the forested coastline to hide them. "Remind me again who we're waiting for?" Moonlach whispered from her position, pressed close to Venegaza's flank.
Venegaza looked at her. "Her name is Concorde. She is French built but she loves the piracy game almost as much as I do." She explained.
"So she's a spy then." Moonlach asked.
"An informant." Venegaza corrected her. "Concorde keeps us up to date on the activities of the merchant and military fleets. Without her, we would not know when it was safe for us to attack certain areas."
"How does she stay so well informed?" Moonlach asked.
"She has high connections in almost every fleet. Except the Dutch. As I understand it, her contact there was lost to the Brits a year ago." Venegaza replied, not realizing that Long Shadow had been that contact. Venegaza straightened as Concorde emerged from the harbor and circled around in their direction. "Stay close to me." She whispered. "Concorde is not exactly trusting of newcomers."
"No problems here." Moonlach whispered back, eyeing up those nasty looking chase guns on Concorde's bow.
As the French ship got closer, Moonlach realized how similar in looks they were. Concorde had the same galleon hull with the lines of an Indiaman. But unlike Moonlach's warm golden tones, Concorde carried a dark mahogany color to her sides and black sails to boot. She looked through long lashes at Venegaza. Her eyes were amber, Moonlach noted.
"Well, well. Found a protege I see." She purred.
Venegaza straightened, placing a protective rigging line across Moonlach's deck. The younger ship gratefully accepted it, shrinking back a little when Concorde turned that gaze onto her. "Well aren't you an interesting one, little Pearl." She grinned.
Moonlach bared her teeth. "You have no right to call me that!!" She snapped.
Concorde looked amused. "No indeed." She purred. "Venegaza, the harbor is as relaxed as I can make it. What you choose to do with that info is up to you. I'll be making myself scarce."
"Indeed? Well then we'll meet up at Isla de Muerta in 2 days. I'll bring you your bounty then." Venegaza promised. The French ship dipped her bow and left.
"So what's the plan?" Moonlach asked, a bit more confident now that she had gone.
"We're going to sack the port." Venegaza replied.
"Just the two of us?" Moonlach wondered.
"The conditions are right. Tide and wind favor us and with the party going on at the fort, no one will notice us until it's too late." Venegaza replied, starting forward. Moonlach rushed after her. "And one more thing." She added. "No guns. Stealth is the key here."
YOU ARE READING
The Founding Sisters #1 The Damned
General FictionRedoing my original and tying it in with the main series. We go back to the beginning, before the founding of the United States. Several ships were key players in this founding and this is their story.
