“Hey, this was the time I lasted the most!” His voice bore an indignant tone underneath it, but his smile betrayed him. “I am quite good as well.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” Every dish was now in its correct place, so I faced the rest of the deck. “I only meant that Alastair’s techniques were impressive, and I wanted to know why his level was so different from the rest of you.”
“Different or superior?” He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. His demeanor went from cheerful to serious. He didn’t give me time to answer, though. “Al has always admired the art of sword fighting the most, so he was the one who always practiced it the most. Anyway, I am skilled enough to survive, it’s quite dangerous to be a pirate.”
There was something in his voice. It was almost as if he wanted to make sure he showed me his earned position as captain.
“I am aware of the dangers, I didn’t say you were unskilled.” As I spoke, a small smile reappeared on his lips. I liked seeing him like that. “I’ve always thought that the ability to sword fight would be something amazing.” My eyes lowered to the weapon at his belt. “May I see it?”
“Sure.” He drew it from its sheath and handed it to me.
The sword wasn’t as heavy as I expected, shining in the light of the candles and hatches around the deck.
“This is beautiful! I’ve always wanted to hold one, but my father never allowed me to. He thought it was too dangerous.”
“It can be, but I’m sure you can manage.”
I felt the balance of the sword as I tilted the hilt slowly, thus shifting the entire blade to one side or the other. Although it wasn't too heavy, I couldn't imagine myself practicing with it for hours, it had already started to weigh down my outstretched arm.
“When I was a kid I used wooden swords at first, of course. Only after a certain level, I could use a real one. My arm could hardly take the weight of the steel throughout the training,” he said, as if he could read my mind. I smiled and continued observing the blade, feeling his eyes on my every movement. “I could teach you how to use it if you want to.”
I was so mesmerized by the weapon that my cheeks still hurt when the smile faded.
“I can’t.” I handed him the sword. He put it back in its sheath.
“Why not? I’m sure you could learn. If I was a disaster and now, I can survive pretty well, I’m sure you could too.”
“Thanks, and I know it, but I find it hardly unlikely in only four days.”
I didn’t understand why his jaw dropped at my sentence, or why he nearly stuttered as he answered.
“Y-yes. Indeed, you’re right. The time frame is too short to achieve such a feat.”
“However, it is still enough for you to tell me more stories about your achievements. I’m curious to listen to them.”
The smile returned to his face, and he began telling me of his afternoon practices with his friends back when he was a child.
After he told me some stories, Callum had his captain’s duties to do and left me on the main deck. I chose to stay in his quarters for a few hours until it was time for dinner. Once again, after eating, Callum took me to the navigation room.
“Felix is not joining us tonight?” I asked once we arrived there and the red-haired man wasn’t inside as I expected. He wasn’t at the galley either. Callum was lighting the candles on the table.
“Oh, I’ve asked him and Hayden if they’d like to join us, but they declined. Apparently, they had some matters to attend to. It crossed my mind inviting Alastair, but he hardly likes anyone, so I was afraid you’d feel uneasy with his presence.”
“What about Enric?”
“I knew I couldn’t invite him, he’s not well-behaved around pretty women and I’ve seen how uncomfortable he makes you feel. He tried to invite himself, though.”
“And what did you tell him?”
“‘You need to learn how to act towards ladies so you won’t make them uncomfortable before I allow you in’, those were my exact words.”
I couldn't help but laugh as I imagined Enric’s reaction to that. I hoped it’d have some effect on him; he was too pushy, and I believe he’d be even more so if Callum didn’t have his eyes on him almost all the time.
I sat at the table. Callum did the same after getting some wine and a wooden box from the shelf Felix had put the cards in the previous day, though this one was bigger.
“Would you accept something different this time? A chess game, perhaps?”
“I’d love to. I’ve always been great at it.”
“I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
“If I can still remember it properly, it shall be fun.” I grab the chess pieces and put them in place. We began the game.
Callum’s honey eyes were darker and deeper in the dim light. They looked at me so attentively it was easy to distract myself. The fact that he seemed to want to talk was also not in my favor.
“You are very intriguing, Lenna.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You’re not only a somewhat rich girl, dressed as a commoner, you also sneaked in a pirate ship and proved to be quite resourceful.”
“Resourceful?” I moved a piece that I wouldn’t have moved if I were paying more attention, for he quickly took it away from the board.
“Of course. You knew valuable and privileged information earlier today. Information that no one else in this ship had, despite the fact that everyone keeps eyes and ears sharp for gossip at the docs, the kind of thing I constantly bribe people for. Yet, you were the only one who knew it and with a good amount of details.”
“I was just lucky.” I shrugged. “Just as I was lucky to end up in your ship. I don't know if I’d be as well treated in any other vessel as I am in here. This also makes me wonder why and how a pirate can be such a gentleman; or how the five of you are so well-educated. After all, it is rare for peasants to even read and all of you are very smart.”
He moved a piece, and it was my turn to kill it easily.
“We’ve always had a passion for knowledge, so we pursued it. Hayden, especially.”
“There is more to it.”
I took another of his pieces, but I was still losing. Callum rubbed the short beard over his chin and finally settled for a challenge.
“Surprise me.”
“You are pirates, but you don’t attack this country. You are all from here and are still fond of it. This excludes the first idea of normal pirates that they are from the navy and rebel against their country. So I think you were formerly from the navy, which would explain your education. But something happened in the way, that maybe you wanted to take justice with your own hands. Or perhaps your families worked for privileged people, maybe even were to some extent, but something happened to them and you all decided it’d be best to live your lives at sea, which somehow led you all to rebel against the system, but not the people.”
I lied down my theories, observing him with as much attention as he’d often give me. There was definitely surprise widening his eyes just a little, and then he smiled.
“You are much smarter than I gave you credit for, even if you’re not half right on your assumptions.”
“I’ll take it as a compliment.”
“That’s exactly how I meant it.” He moved a piece on the board. “It is indeed a delight to have such a bright woman on my ship. But alas, I have a checkmate, this time.”
My eyes fell on the board; his checkmate was literal, making me lose the game.
“Indeed, you have, but I don’t intend to keep it this way.”
“It’d be a pity if you did.”
I tried to hold on to the smile that was stubborn enough to grace my lips then. So I stood up and announced I was tired. He agreed, asking me to go ahead, and he’d return to his quarters as soon as he cleaned up the room.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Loud noises came from out of the captain’s cabin. But what pushed me away from my slumber was a loud noise, alm
ost like thunder. Callum was already up and dressed, nearly following down as the ship stirred.
“What’s going on?” I sat up, balancing myself on the couch when the ship stirred to the opposite side.
“Get up.” He commanded. “We’re being attacked.”
I stood up with difficulty and was still confused. My stomach twisted, but I held the urge to throw up the last meal on the floor. I didn't know if the sickness was coming from the moving ship or pure fright.
“I need to get you out of here.”
“What? Why?”
“Because the first place they’re gonna come in is my room.” He grabbed my arm to help me walk through the shifting deck surface as he took me to the navigation room. “Don’t leave this room.” He shoved a revolver in my hands; I gasped. “Do you know how to use it?”
I shook my head.
“I’ve only seen guns from afar. I never even touched one before.”
“Just aim and pull the trigger. Don’t close your eyes doing so.”
“Wait!” I grabbed his shirt the moment he turned around. My heart pounding so strongly against my chest I could hardly breathe. “You’re leaving me alone here?”
“I need to go out there to help them. You’ll be fine here, I promise. Lock the door and slide a shelf or the table to block the way in.” He cupped my face with a hand; his touch was gentle in comparison to his serious eyes on me. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
And with that, he left the room and I didn't waste any time to lock the door. I could hear the sound of blades shocking against each other. It wasn’t like before though, this time there was a less cheerful vibe to it. My whole body shivered every time gunshots crossed the air.
I wanted to know what was happening out there; I wanted to put the shelf in front of the door as he had oriented me to, but I couldn’t move. Pressing my ear against the door, my imagination ran wild, and I didn’t leave that spot for possibly several minutes until I broke from my stupor, knowing I had to prevent people from coming in.
I left the key and gun on the table so my now free hands could push the shelf. That thing barely moved. I put all my strength and energy into pushing it, even using my weight against the wooden furniture. But it still barely budged. It took a lot of effort for it to get even close to the door, crossing the thirty centimeters of the wall to get there. I only had to push a little more. Breathing heavily, my strained arms went numb. I never had to use them that much to move a piece of furniture this thick and heavy before.
Something collided against the door on the other side. I instinctively covered my mouth to prevent any sound from escaping my throat, my hands shaking. More movement came from there. Two people were wrestling. My legs took me closer to the door that shook with impact again. The force was big, so probably someone threw the other person against it. Grunts escaped from both men, and when someone yelled in pain, I recognized Enric’s voice.
One of Callum’s friends was in peril just outside that door, and I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't even get help. Sure, I didn't really like Enric, but they had all been so kind to me that the urge to assist him somehow was inevitable. My eyes landed on the gun on the table. Callum wouldn't have given it to me if it weren’t to do something with it.
I grabbed the key and gun, unlocked the door and opened it surprisingly fast. Enric was against the wooden board and fell to the floor, I barely registered the blood on his torso and right arm; his opponent nearly fell, but kept his balance, turning to face me with raging eyes. I pointed the gun at him and shot twice, thinking of nothing else but how much I didn’t want him to come closer to me. I only hit his arm as he yelled, gripping the hurt place.
I didn’t know what else to do. Part of me knew I should shoot him again because he’d eventually charge against me and I would not be able to defend myself. But despite my brain screaming at my finger to press the trigger again, my body didn’t obey. What if I killed him? How could I kill someone?
A hand snatched the gun from me and killed the man in my place. Enric was still sitting in the same place at the door, but that didn't stop him from shooting at other enemies coming closer. Their bodies fell against the deck near the helm, staining the floor with red.
I was probably in shock, for I knew I was breathing, but there was not enough air for my lungs. I shook my head in an attempt to bring myself away from my numb state and quickly helped Enric stand up and enter the room. I guided him to a chair then ran to close the door. I almost had it shut when someone pushed it. I wasn't expecting it, so I was forced to step back.
Enric didn’t waste a second and was already shooting the man, however, his sight must have been blurry with blood loss for he missed his shots and soon ran out of bullets. The man saw his state and didn't mind him at all, instead; he looked at me with hungry eyes. With one swift movement, he clasped my arm, pulling me outside.
I fought to break free from his grasp, but his big hands were too strong. He got near the taffrail, both ships were still connected by planks, but I could see each was getting ready to go their separate ways. He was trying to take me to their ship.
I let my weight pull us down, making it hard for him to carry me away. In answer, he just used more force and hurt me more. I looked around; desperately searching for someone who could help me. Callum was fighting someone on the other side of the main deck, so I called his name at the top of my lungs. The man holding me grunted impatiently before he hit me so strongly my head spun. In my dizziness, I barely acknowledged when he got on the taffrail and started crossing the plank to his ship.
Gunshots crossed the sky over the yells, but I couldn’t tell where it came from or who was yelling. The man suddenly lost his strength, leaning on me. His body weighed me down, and I didn't even have the chance to try to keep my balance, so we both fell to the sea.
The water hit me harder than the man’s hit earlier, and once again I lost my senses. There was no up and down, just the darkness surrounding me. I tried breathing, but my lungs burned causing me to choke.
Air.
I needed air, and the fact I couldn’t get it into my lungs just made my heart race even more as desperation flooded inside it.
A hand surrounded my wrist and pulled me, soon an arm was around my waist. I tried to fight it but was too weak to move.
The coldness embraced me and it only made me want to sleep; the wind brushing on my wet skin. My back was against something hard. Voices sounded distant.
Something soft touched my lips then something hard pressed down my ribs and it hurt, but not as much as the salty water that seemed to rip my throat on the way out. I coughed and spit the seawater from inside, its presence still vivid within me every time I breathed.
It was a relief that the first thing I could distinguish in my blurry view was Callum’s relieved smile at me. I couldn’t do anything but breathe, though.
“Are you crazy?” Alastair hissed, punching the captain on the shoulder. “You could have died!”
“Stop whining, I’m fine.” Callum’s attention then turned back at me as he leaned closer. I was still lying on the main deck and probably all the crew was around us, but all I could see was Callum. His smooth hand found my cheek so I could look at him. His analytical eyes traced me, searching for signs of how unwell I was. “How are you?”
My throat was on fire which made it hard for me to speak. Instead, I just nodded in an attempt to show him I was conscious and fine. It worked well enough, for his expressions seemed less tense and his attention went to the surrounding people. He shouted orders and everyone began to move in a hurry. Once we were alone, he helped me sit up.
“Can you walk?”
The dizziness diminished enough for me to nod, so he helped me stand up. He guided me to his room. We were both soaked, so I didn’t sit on the sofa I used as a bed, instead, I went to the chair at the small table in the middle of the room. My legs were numb and my lungs burned so much it hurt. But at least now I had precious air in and out of the
m.
Callum changed to dry clothes, moving faster than I could follow.
My fingers brushed against my hot cheek. The one the man had hit. It began stinging again as my senses slowly came back.
“Where are they?” I managed to ask, but my voice sounded hoarse and it failed at the end.
“They retreated once they realized they were losing.” He stopped in front of me and cupped my face with a gentle touch. “I need to go out there now, you should put on some dry clothes before you catch a cold. And you need some rest, you almost drowned.”
“Okay.” I coughed, my throat complaining at every attempt of speaking.
“I still have some water in here for you to drink. I’ll be back soon.” He leaned closer and lightly kissed my forehead. The gesture was so sudden that I nearly lost my breath. Then he left the room.
Once my surprise vanished, I stood up to get rid of my wet, cold clothes.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Hours later, the sun was already shining in the sky. I was feeling much better after resting, so I left the captain’s quarters to see if I could help out with something and also to check on Enric.
I helped Hayden and a middle-aged man acting like a doctor to care for the ones who were wounded. Then, I learned that they had already changed course, thus we’d reach Keanys a bit later, but safer. I also learned they had already thrown the dead at sea. They told me Enric’s condition was bad, but he’d live. Hayden told me that the ship that attacked us was probably the one Enric had spotted nights ago and they somehow found us. They were indeed from Estanya’s navy and they most likely recognized the ship as one of their enemies—hence the attack.
I assisted them for at least a few hours when Callum showed up looking for me. Like most people, he had an exhausted look on his face. I could tell he had been working nonstop since he woke up last night.
“I’d like to speak to you for a moment,” he said.
“All right.”
His hand went to my back; I believe he wasn’t even aware of it, acting without thinking.
The Duchess at Sea Page 4