The Early Chronicles Book Six: Dragon Wing

Chapter 2

August 17th, 1753, off the Coast of Madagascar

Isabel watched her father, Captain Manuel Torres, lurch the wheel of the ship Amanecer Marea.  Her fiery red hair flew in front of her face as the wind changed with the turn of a ship.  She straightened her three-cornered pirate's hat with satisfaction.

"Pardón, Papá, how many leagues ahead of them are we?"  Isabel called to her father.  

"Far too many for them to catch up, chica!"  Captain Torrres's hearty laugh was joined by the crew as they rummaged through the trunks they had just lifted off of a trading ship from Madagascar.  Isabel jumped from the deck she stood on and joined the crew on the main deck where the loot was already littered all over the floor.  She gasped with delight as she spotted pearl necklaces, priceless spyglasses, charting equipment, and a few clothing items as well as jewels.  

"That," she said with a grin as she lifted a pearl necklace off of one of the steely-eyed crew mates, "would look far more fetching on me."  

The pirate sneered and clenched his grimy fists.  "You may be the cap'n's daughter, but that don't mean I got to listen to the likes of you!"  He lurched forward to snatch the necklace but Isabel was far too quick.  She jumped onto a crate which slid forward from the force of her landing.  Using the momentum, she jumped onto the net which hung from the crow's nest where the watchman stood, and then climbed up towards it, ignoring the hissing threats and curses from the pirate below.  She laughed to herself and then admired the pearls.  She held them against her red hair and liked how fetching they looked together.  

Isabel and her father were the leaders of a band of pirates from Spain.  They were enemies of the crown (or any others who were rich), and they spent their time sailing from port to port, raiding docks and ships of any who appeared to have more than they.  Very seldom did Isabel's conscience prick her, and even then she would remember her bitterness.  Her mother had been a serving maid for a very rich duchess in Spain.  Long and hard hours her mother slaved and remained loyal to her mistress.  When one of the duchess's prized jewels had gone missing, blame had been placed on her mother.  She was imprisoned and contracted a terrible illness upon release, dying several months later.  Isabel and her father blamed all noblemen after that, convinced they mistreated all of lower station.  Now the pirates had devoted their lives to even the score with all who bore the mark of royalty or nobleman.  

"Isabel!  Venga!  Come down and help us sort this loot!"  Her father called to her.  

"Sí, Papá!"  She called and began descending the mass of ropes.  The wind seemed to have picked up, pulling her tied-back hair in all different directions about her face.  She did her best to toss it over her shoulder as she bent to gather the contents of the trunks.  Her hands landed on a beautiful blue silk dress with lace trim and a full skirt.  

"That would look beautiful on you, chica."  Her father said as he placed a hand on her shoulder.  "Take it as a gift from your Papá."

Isabel kissed her father's cheek and rushed to put the dress in her cabin.  She sighed as she held it up against her frame and twirled in front of the mirror.  How fetching the blue looked with her red hair and the pearls!  It looked like it would fit perfectly!  A slight pang of something she couldn't quite name touched her heart when she realized whomever they stole this dress from would have had to be close to Isabel's age and frame.  Would the seventeen-year old girl owner of this dress miss it?  Or did she have a thousand others?  Pushing the thought from her mind, Isabel carefully laid the dress out on her bed.

"Those clouds don't look pleasant."  Isabel overheard a sailor caution the captain.  She looked behind her and she did indeed see a wave of dark grey clouds slowly overtaking the bright blue sky.  The wind had also become quite strong, and the ship lurched more than it had that morning.