Skyrun

Chapter 11; Things go wrong... again.

Not much was said about the map that night as the pirates sat around a large campfire, talking in low murmurs and glancing darkly at the shadowy forest that enclosed the wreckage of the ships.

Sitting beside the bright orange flames, Liam blinked the smoke from his eyes and tried to focus on eating the soup of meager rabbit that Coin and Burn had hunted down that evening. Skin and bones it was, though what was to be expected from a supposedly haunted island.

"Cursed I tell ye," Slim was saying loudly, "A thousand men have died upon these fell shores and their souls haunt this grave of ships. Mark me words, lads; we'll be dead on the morrow."

That was when Sinclair told him to shut up.

But try as the quarter master might, he could not stop talk amongst the men, and Liam listened intently as they spoke of horrible beings-- of pirates long dead who sought the bodies of the living to destroy. Of hidden treasure, cursed with a thousand spells, and of ghost ships manned by hoards of skeletons sailing the night sky. 

Shivering, Liam felt the stories seize hold of him, capturing his mind in wonder and horror. Doubtless he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

But once the fire died low and the men and women took watch or went to their beds, the boy approached captain Valentine.

"Captain?"

"What is it, boy? Looking for another fight to lose? 'fraid I'm a bit too busy tonight to oblige."

Liam felt himself blush and he frowned as Valentine burst into laughter. "I'm joking, Hawk." she said, grinning from ear to ear, "Come now, what is it? Spit it out, I haven't got all night, you know."

"I was wondering about the map."

"Ah, the bloody map. Don't you go worrying about it. Sin and I'll have a chat about the map later." she then gave him a pat on the shoulder-- which was equal in force to a blow from a sledgehammer., making Liam wheeze.

Turning on her heel, Valentine gave him a wink before returning to the ship and hopping aboard nimbly as a cat.

Liam watched her go, concern about the 'bloody map' still gnawing at his gut. And though he tried to put it out of his mind-- even as he took his turn being on watch-- he still could not get the feeling that the map was important in some way.

Very important.

                                  ........................................

The cold air held a chill to it which Liam could not explain.

Up till now it had been moderately warm, but with the setting of the sun came the chill of the night and that which had seemed harmless on the island now looked sinister and twisted and wrong.

And though Liam thought of himself as being mature and logical-- most of the time, anyway. Those times when he wasn't were mostly his friends' fault-- he could not help but feel a little frightened. 

Thus, gazing out into the grove of trees looking for signs of trouble--mainly ghosts-- he nearly jumped out of his skin when Sinclair tapped him on the shoulder.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Liam demanded angrily, his heart beating wildly, pulse racing.

Sinclair shrugged, his silver hair shining like a halo around his head. "You could do with one. Might improve your personality."

Liam scowled; halo indeed... it ought to be devil horns. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"The question really ought to be, do I hate you at all?"