Lunars of the Caribbean

Hello Old Friend (6)

Cinder had watched as Thorne manned the wheel of the ship with expertise. They were so far out to sea that Port Royal could no longer be seen on the horizon. This fact gave Cinder a spark of hope, and a jab of despair at the same time. She was so glad to be out of Port Royal because if she'd stayed, she would have been sent to the Gallows. But even if she'd never been arrested, she would have been a slave to the Linh house for her entire life. Now, she was free. She could do whatever she wanted with her life and be whoever she desired to become.

Yet, Cinder felt a ping of loneliness for one solemn reason. She would probably never see Kaito again. He'd been so kind to her, and seeing him gave her the courage to do incredible things. Sadly, to keep her freedom and her life, it was likely that she could never show her face in Port Royal again.

"Why so glum, Cinder?" Thorne called from the wheel. He had to shout for her to hear him, since she was half way across the ship from him. "We're free! Another wonderfully executed escape from the Gallows. And I couldn't have done it without you."

Cinder shrugged as she placed her weight against the last mast. "We wouldn't have needed to escape from jail if you hadn't kidnapped Ka- ... the governor's son."

The Captain eyed her in suspicion. "Do I detect a bit of sentiment in your voice?"

In response, she rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying, if you hadn't taken him hostage, you never would have been arrested."

He shook his head and sighed. "For the record, I saved his life and that stupid lieutenant used a handshake to find out that I'm a pirate. Such a wonderful way to thank me for saving that guy from drowning."

It was somewhat of a shock that Thorne had been arrested for saving Kaito from drowning. Though that's not exactly the reason why he was arrested. Still, it gave Cinder a little more insight into who Thorne really was as a person.

For a while, Cinder had thought Thorne was the reason for her being arrested. Then, she realized it was because of Kai. If she hadn't saved his life from Thorne, she would still be a swords-women, living under the Linh name. So the list of things Cinder and Thorne had in common.

A question popped into her mind. "How did that lieutenant know you are a pirate from a handshake?"

"I have a tattoo on my arm," he replied. Cinder's eyes went wide. "He must have heard of me already and knew about it. But almost all pirates have some sort of tattoo. That and a mark from the East India Company."

Standing upright, Cinder approached the wheel and Thorne. "A tattoo?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It's just a thorn bush, because I'm Captain Carswell Thorne."

"So .. could a pirate have a tattoo like mine?"

Thorne tensed at the mention of her tattoo. She already knew that it meant that she was a Lunar, somehow. She'd never met her parents, so she could have been Lunar.

Giving in, Thorne conceded, "Some Lunars do become pirates. There are even rumors that Levana has a secret navy of Lunar Soldiers at her command. But yes, it is possible for pirates to have tattoos like yours. I even happen to know one. And we're going to see her in Tortuga."

If she'd been drinking water, she would have had to spurt it out to prevent herself from choking on it. "Tortuga? Isn't that place crawling with pirates?"

Thorne chuckled, "Well it's a pirate port. I should hope it has loads of pirates there. Plus, we need to met a friend of mine. In fact, she's the same friend that has a tattoo with a likeness to your own. Maybe she could help you fill in the blanks about life as a Lunar."