A Tale That Never Was [Book 1 of Selvina's Tale series]

Chapter 8: The Little Match Girl

Several days went by with the Jolly Roger spared any storms or bad weather. The ocean was relatively calm and peaceful and Captain Hook made good progress. During the journey Selvina had tried several times to learn of his relationship with Peter Pan but an intense glare was the only answer she ever received. Discouraged and frustrated she had decided to give up on it, at least for now. Meanwhile, she and Red developed a greater friendship. The former taught the latter how to dress nicely and told her of the fairy tales she had grown up with while the latter attempted to teach the former how to use crossbows and defend herself, both with mixed results. Sinbad and sometimes Captain Hook helped as well. Jack mostly sat back and laughed. His relationship with Selvina had grown as well but she still thought of him as crude and disgusting most of the time.

With supplies beginning to run low, mostly because of Bigbad's great appetite, Captain Hook had set a northerly course to an island simply known as Kenmard. It had no king and only one city but it was sometimes frequented by seafarers and would have the supplies he needed. The nearer they were to the island the colder the air became and within the span of a few hours where there had been blue sky, fluffy white clouds, and a warm sun there was now a pall of grey and a light snowfall. The water became choppy and whitecaps surrounded the ship in every direction. Jolly Roger bobbed up and down in great dips and rises as waves smashed into the hull. Her bow sliced through them all the same and Captain Hook guided her toward a faint light in the distance. The snowfall limited their view but the light was still visible through it and was steadily growing larger.

"Lighthouse of Kenmard!" Captain Hook shouted over the crashing waves. "We'll get there yet, lasses!"

Selvina's face was green as she gripped the balustrade with white knuckles. She handled calm waters well but these were anything but. Icy spray splashed over her face and body and she was chilled to the bone. Red had taken Bigbad in the cargo hold where she would stay with him. Selvina had declined her offer to go with her, telling her that she would be fine, but was now regretting every moment. She wanted to go belowdecks more than anything but the boards were slippery and the wind had picked up, threatening to throw her off the ship if she lost her footing. She looked up at the crow's nest where Jack stood with a lantern in his hand, flashing his hand over it in a series of specific sequences. She didn't know what they meant but whenever he made them Captain Hook would call out an order or move the ship in a different direction. She assumed it was some sort of code and though she could find the young man incredibly intolerable she marvelled at his bravery. If he fell off his precarious perch he would certainly die yet he was up there acting as if there was no storm around him at all.

The snow began to fall in great sheets and soon nearly all vision was lost. The lighthouse's glow was barely perceptible and yet Captain Hook, Sinbad, Jack, and the rest of Jolly Roger's crew continued to operate without any pauses or hesitations. It was as if they were of a single mind and Jolly Roger was a living thing moving with its own purpose.

Selvina shuddered violently and tried to curl her fingers but couldn't feel them. Her toes had lost all feeling many minutes ago and her entire body trembled uncontrollably. She could feel her grip loosening on the balustrade and with every buck and bob the ship went through the threat of letting go increased. Her breath came out in clouds and her eyelashes stuck together. Like icy teeth the cold pinched the skin on her cheeks, forehead, and nose and her mind began to wander. Warmth suddenly began to envelop her and her fingers lost their grip on the balustrade. A flash of red swept over her vision and she felt herself dragged along the wet boards. Her world spun in a blur as cold wind whipped against her flesh. Moments later the air became stuffy and warm and a rush of relief flowed through her body.