Captain Fury: Pirate of Berk

46: Everything that matters most

Forty-Six: Everything that matters most

Heather was absolutely furious-and it was all Fury's fault. That bastard had led her on, toying with her and using her like a free whore for years before he had dumped her with absolutely no warning or explanation. She had completely rightfully sworn vengeance against the honourless scrall and recruited her brother in tracking down the swine. It had actually proven easier than expected when he was captured on Berk and she had enjoyed seeing his trial and his sentence to the galley-in her brother's flagship. She had spent a few very pleasurable hours watching him toil at the oar, taking his lashes and slumping exhausted and hopeless. And Dagur had indulged her desire for revenge and had brutalised him for her most deliciously.

And then he had been rescued, that blonde harpie thwarting Heather's attempt to kill him in the galley and taking him from her grasp. Dagur's intelligence had found out that she was Lady Astrid Hofferson, the richest woman and most eligible heiress on Berk...and that had redoubled her rage. Fury had cast her over for the rich bitch in a callow attempt to get his grasping hands on her fortune...forgetting Heather was of the ruling house of Berserk and was an heiress in her own right.

And then, when it seemed he had escaped from civil war-torn Berk, he turned up in her bedroom with that same blonde whore and had kidnapped her! Heather had been furious and had sworn all sorts of painful vengeance against the scrawny red-haired streak of congealed piss. And he hadn't even had the guts of face her-he had sent the Berk bitch, one of his crew-a weird female with braids and very strange manner, possibly insane-and a blonde busty female with wild blonde hair and piercing blue eyes who Heather recalled was the only female Captain on Dragon Island...Camicazi... They had explained that Heather was a hostage against Dagur and would be swapped in return for safe passage of the Night Fury back to Berk.

But they had reneged on the deal...not that Heather had expected her brother, Dagur, to honour any deal with an escaped slave in the first place. But she had still be enraged when they had fished the moaning old man from the other cage in the hold and had gagged and wrapped him in a blanket before sending him to face her brother. She presumed Dagur would kill him without hesitation-because Dagur never took treachery well, though he was an expert at perpetrating it. They had kept her prisoner on the way back to Berk...and then everything had gone quiet...except...Camicazi's crewmate, Mathilda, had looked upset at her imprisonment and had surreptitiously brought her a small knife so that she could set to work picking the lock.

She could only work on her freedom while the crew were otherwise occupied, for they lived in the same hold as the cage she was imprisoned in...and they had also been busy in the hold when they had arrived back on Berk, though they had fed her and cared for her well. The large, simple man-Bucket, she thought he was called-had been very attentive and she had almost felt bad at how rudely she had treated him. But he never took offence and had still made sure she had plenty of food, water, mead, clothes, blankets and a couple of books to read. She had to admit the food was superb-mainly because the crew had their own cook, a homely woman who had bustled round the lower deck and prepared food like a professional. Heather had wondered what her story was...though not enough to talk to her and maybe get her onside. After all, Heather had her own plan for escape.

But the cook had disembarked when they had sailed out again, the hold packed with cannon shot and far too many kegs of powder, which meant only one thing: war. And the shudders through the ship as cannon were fired and the sickening thuds of impact had told Heather that she needed to make her move soon-before she went down with the ship. Fortunately, everyone had gone above decks and was helping in the fight, allowing her to finally have the time she needed to pick the lock-which had taken far longer than she had anticipated. But she had finally gotten free as the ship had jerked sideways and the cacophony of battle had grown almost deafening. So she had grabbed a sword along with her knife and had crept up onto deck...