Owned by the Ocean

by Christine Steendam

  Brant laughed and took a slight step back. “We’re leaving in a couple of hours. When the crew arrives, I need you to make sure things are ready to set sail. I have an errand to run.”

  “Aye, Brant. Trouble?”

  “Nothing to be too worried about, I would just rather not be in port come morning. Go sober up; there’s some coffee in the galley.”

  Karl walked off somewhat unsteadily to the galley.

  Brant sighed. James would be asleep in the crew’s quarters. He would rather he stayed asleep till morning, but someone had to get together a makeshift stall and collect enough water to make the next port. The rest of their supplies would be collected then. As for the crew, if he could find a handful sober enough to function, things might just work out.

  The crew began to stagger in about twenty minutes later, all drunk and grumbling unhappily about their festivities being cut short. However, as unhappy as they were, they were all there within the hour. Not a man was missing. Walking among them, Brant instructed them all to get some hot coffee from the galley. Only Matt and the master gunner, Christopher, were sober enough to help him with the more delicate task of getting the girl aboard.

  “You two, come with me,” he instructed.

  The girl still sat where Brant had left her only an hour earlier. Her horse stirred slightly but seemed content to stand watch near his mistress.

  “Forgive me, Cap’n, but since when are we in the kidnapping business? This don’t sit well with me,” said Matt nervously.

  “Matthew, we’re immoral men. If you’re choosing now to grow a conscience, perhaps you should find another line of work.”

  Neither man responded.

  “I don’t care if you two have to bind and gag the girl, just get her to the ship in one piece and preferably unharmed. I’ll look after the horse.”

  “Yes, sir,” they chorused.

  Brant stood back as the two men approached the girl. It pained him to see the look of surprise and then terror cross over the girl’s face as Christopher grabbed her from behind. She dropped the horse’s lead rope as she struggled to break free, but Matt made quick work of tying her up and then there was very little she could do. They were efficient; he could say that much. No scream managed to escape her lips, and although she struggled as Matt carried her over his shoulder, he never once faltered.

  Brant went over to the startled horse that was dancing in confusion and picked up the forgotten lead rope. He followed behind them at a distance, being careful that the girl didn’t see his face. He didn’t need her recognizing him when morning came and explanations had to be made. Christopher fell into stride with Brant as they approached the ship.

  “Where would ye like her, Cap’n?”

  “Put her in my cabin for now. I don’t imagine I’ll need it tonight.”

  It would be a long night. With the majority of his crew drunk, he could only hope Old Richard didn’t figure out who interfered until morning. All that aside, Brant would be happy if his stumbling, useless crew managed to get his ship out of the harbour unscathed.

  A rough hand clamped over her mouth silenced Senona’s scream. Her muffled protests brought no sympathy or release from either of the men. For only a brief second, his hand left her face, but he quickly replaced it with a musty, salty tasting gag. The other man picked her up easily, slinging her uncomfortably over his shoulder, as if she were a sack of flour. Though she struggled against her captor, Senona couldn't see where she was going; only the retreating view of where she had been sitting a moment ago and a dark figure followed with Naldo.

  They walked up a long, wooden plank. So they were taking her aboard a ship. She had heard of young girls being kidnapped and sold as slaves. Was that to be her sad fate? However, much to her surprise, she heard the man who had been following instruct for her to be put in his cabin, not the brig as she had expected.

  Upon entering the cabin, the man gently lowered her to the floor.

  “I’m quite sorry, ma’am. I ain’t in the business of kidnapping but orders is orders.”

  He removed her gag slowly but replaced it with his rough hand, once again cutting off her screams. “Now I know you wanna scream and all, but no one here is gonna help. So it would be mightily appreciated if you’d just keep quiet and save up all that screaming for the Cap’n. Lord knows he deserves it.”

  Senona wanted to ask what they would do with her and what they had done with Naldo, but she found herself too terrified to speak. Panic coursed through her body leaving her trembling against the man’s hand. How did she manage to get herself into such a situation?

  The man left her alone in the dark cabin. Closing the door behind him, she heard the distinct click of a lock.

  Getting up slowly, she stumbled to the wall and felt her way around the room until she found a bed. She was exhausted and scared. All she wanted was to feel the warmth and comfort of a bed. She had an overwhelming urge to cry, but tears wouldn’t fall. She was just too tired for tears, too tired to think about what had happened in the short time since she had left home, too tired to even function. Answers would have to wait till morning.

  When Senona awoke the next morning, she was greeted by the sight of a young man with short blonde hair, sitting with an air of superiority. He was intently studying a map laid out on the ornate desk situated in the center of the room.

  “Welcome to the land of the living,” said the man, without so much as a glance up from his map .

  “Senor, may I ask where the Captain is?” she asked.

  “Captain Brant Foxton at your service,” he said with a smirk, this time rewarding her with his undivided attention.

  Standing up, she drew herself to her full height. “So you are the man responsible for my abduction. What do you plan to do with me, Captain? Sell me as a slave? And where is my horse? You owe me an explanation for how I was treated last night.”

  She squared her five-foot-five body, waiting for his response. She could see him looking her over and his lips pressed together in a smirk. “Yes, yes you would bring me a tidy sum on the black market. I know a few men off Tortuga who would be more than willing to take you, but that is not what I have in mind. Old Richard, however, the ‘oh so kind’ Captain whom you purchased passage from had just that in mind. He is most likely sitting in Barcelona right now very upset that the young Senorita did not show up. Though I am sure he has spent your doubloons quite frivolously already. Aside from that, I can assure you that your stallion is safe and content below deck.”

  “Captain Richard and I had a business deal. I don’t know what made you think his intentions were anything less than pure when you are much more suspicious in my mind. Only the most diabolical man abducts and that is-”

  Brant cut her off sharply. “Stop right there, Miss. I am a man of honor, which may be hard for you to believe seeing as what I put you through last night, but I will not have my character questioned by a girl who has barely seen eighteen years and hasn’t sullied her ears with even the maid’s gossip. Old Richard would never have brought you to Port Royale. I will. That is a fact and I urge you to accept it.”

  “I don’t see what else I can do given the present circumstances. However, I cannot afford to pay you. I’m afraid you have brought any costs and trouble I bring upon your own head.” She could afford to pay him, and she was certain he knew that, but since he had forcibly taken her aboard his ship, Senona had decided that it would be at his cost, not hers.

  “Don’t worry over the cost. We will hardly notice you. I can’t guarantee a direct course to Port Royale, as I have other, paying business, to attend to. We can discuss this all later tonight though. You will join me for dinner.” There was no room for argument in his voice.

  “Of course, Captain,” she spat out snidely, knowing there was no use in protesting. The man seemed trustworthy enough--for someone that had just kidnapped her--and her energy was better spent elsewhere than fighting a useless battle.

  “Wonderful. You are free to wander aro
und the ship as you please, but try to stay out of the way. This is your cabin to use for the remainder of the voyage; however, I will have to make use of it from time to time as all my things are here. Now if you’ll excuse me I have a lot of things to attend to. We left in such a great hurry last night, and I can’t say any of my crew is overly pleased. We will likely be making port in the next few days to stock up. You have until then to decide if you wish to stay aboard the BlackFox. I assure you that you will not be kept here against your will.” Bowing slightly, he left the cabin, giving her a brief glimpse of a clear, blue sky through the open door.

  Senona sighed and fell back down on the bed, grimacing as her head hit harder than she’d expected. Sitting up again, she looked around. The cabin was bare except for the large desk and dresser. There were no portraits or items of sentiment. No clues as to who the young Captain was. The only thing that gave Senona an insight into his character was the ornate woodwork that gave testimony to expensive and sophisticated taste. He was no simple Captain, of that Senona was certain.

  Straightening her dress and quickly braiding her long hair, Senona left the cabin to explore her surroundings and find Naldo. The ship wasn’t large, obviously not meant for passengers, but instead for speed. Below deck, Naldo was calmly eating some hay. The fact that he was in a dark and smelly ship hold didn’t seem to faze him at all. “Good morning, Naldo. I hope your night went better than mine.” She stroked his muscled shoulder rhythmically as she spoke.

  “He slept well, ma’am. I found him stretched right out on the floor when I came down to feed him this morning. Good thing I made the stall big so he could rest his legs,” said a young version of the Captain, as he came down the steps with a large pail of water in hand; he looked to be about sixteen.

  “Yes, very thoughtful of you. How long do you suppose the supply of water and hay will last?”

  “Only a few days. We’ll make Port Gibraltar by the end of the week and get more. We left in a bit of a hurry last night.”

  “Thank you for looking after Naldo for me. What is your name?”

  “James Foxton,” he responded, not offering any further information. “Just doing my job, ma’am.”

  Senona smiled as she watched James walk away cheerfully. The Captain was a mystery. She didn’t understand how the same man who ordered her abduction could also have such a happy boy on his crew, a boy that she was certain was his younger brother. She picked some clean straw off the floor of Naldo’s stall and gave him a quick brushing. Finding his halter and lead rope dumped unceremoniously on a crate, she put them on Naldo, who nuzzled her as she did so.

  “Come, Naldo, let’s get your legs stretched.”

  Senona didn’t know why she always spoke to him. She knew he couldn’t understand her, but somehow, it gave her an odd sort of comfort that someone was listening, even if it was only a horse. She led him out of his stall and up on deck. He followed her calmly, but his eyes showed his apprehension towards his new surroundings, and his ears twitched in constant attention. The sailors going about their various jobs and the surrounding water alarmed Naldo, but he stayed close to Senona, her reassuring words helping to calm him.

  “That’s a fine looking stallion ye got there.”

  Senona gave a start and turned around to face a grizzled, yet kind faced old man. He wore a large smile that, she suspected, could put even her Padre at ease. “Thank you.”

  “The name’s Karl. I’m the Quartermaster here.”

  “Senona Montez.”

  “Pleased to meet ye. If any of the crew gives ye any trouble, ye come see me. We ain’t too used to guests.”

  “I’ll try to stay out of the way.”

  “Don’t ye worry your pretty little head about that. No one is gonna mind. I’m just makin’ sure the men here treat ye right.” Karl turned to walk away but Senona stopped him.

  “Karl?”

  “Yes, my pretty?”

  “Why does the Captain keep James aboard? How does he get his education?”

  “We’re naught but simple sailors. How would the Cap’n accomplish that? Educations are for rich people, men much better than us.”

  “There is more to the Captain and his brother than this life.”

  “Ye can keep those ideas if ye like, but I ain’t gonna confirm them. The boy is happy here and, although this life is a hard one, even I can’t say he’d be better off on shore. The Cap’n does his best to do right by him.”

  “Are there no parents?”

  “Begging your pardon, miss, but I can’t be answering questions about neither the Captain nor his brother. You're just gonna have to ask him yourself.”

  “Thank you, Karl.”

  “Aye.”

  Karl walked away, leaving Senona alone in the middle of a deck crawling with activity. Making her way over to the railing where she hoped to be out of the way, she leaned out to try and catch a glimpse of Barcelona. It was there; a dark line along the horizon. She could just make out the cliffs that she had ridden across so many times.

  “You seem to have the young stallion's trust. Not many horses would be so calm at sea,” said Brant as he approached her.

  “Naldo has trust in me, and that was not easy to earn. But as calm as he looks, he is quite nervous.”

  “I wouldn't guess it.”

  “Not everything is as it seems. See, his eyes are wide and anxious, his ears are constantly moving in total attention, and if you touch him, you will feel that he is trembling. If not for his complete trust in me, Naldo would flee.”

  “I was raised in a lord’s house and had riding instructors of the best caliber but none ever taught me this,” said Brant thoughtfully, as he studied Naldo more closely. “It’s as if he’s talking to you with every move he makes.”

  Senona smiled, so she had guessed right that he was a noble.

  “That is exactly what he’s doing. Teachers tell you how to handle a horse, how to tame it, and be master over it. They do not teach you how to communicate or form a partnership with one.”

  “You’re different from other noblewomen I’ve known.”

  “I certainly hope so. If you hadn’t been able to see any difference, I would have been insulted.”

  Brant put her at ease. It was an uncommon feeling for her as she was used to constantly being on edge around people. What made it even stranger was that this man should terrify and anger her. He had taken her aboard his ship against her will, and now she found herself talking to him as if he were a friend, something she hadn’t had in quite some time.

  “I knew you were a noble from the moment I saw you, but there was something in your demeanor that made it apparent that you are different.” Then he added, “Besides, what woman would leave a home such as the Montez estate?”

  “Then you know who I am.”

  Brant’s eyes sparkled in silent amusement. “Well, rumors do get around with the young women about ‘that Montez girl.’ I’m afraid I’d recognize you almost anywhere. Aren’t you missing your wedding today?”

  “I am. I’m sure I will be the scandal of the season after this exploit.” She laughed. “I’ll leave you to your work though. I think Naldo has had quite enough fresh air.”

  After making sure Naldo was comfortable and had everything he needed, Senona went back on deck. Still unsure of what to make of the situation she found herself in, she figured the best thing to do was to keep busy and keep her mind off of things until a decision had to be made.

  Due to the ship leaving in such a hurry, there was plenty that needed doing. Karl was walking around the deck giving orders to men or inspecting their work. He seemed to be a gentle task master. Senona observed him dealing with a few younger sailors and was surprised to see him carefully explain what they had done incorrectly and proceed to show them how it was to be done. Not once did she hear an angry word cross his lips. As he passed near Senona, she called him over. “Karl, is there anything I can do?”

  Karl stopped and looked at her, surprised. “Have ye
ever been on a ship?”

  “No, but I'm a fast learner.”

  He looked thoughtful. “Well, I ain't got time to show ye much now, but perhaps ye can take a climb up to the crow’s nest. Take a good look around and let me know what ye see.”

  Senona glanced down at her skirt and was all the more thankful that she’d worn a simple dress without the layers and layers of petticoats that would have impeded her climb. With a nod of her head and a shrug of her shoulders, Senona walked off towards the mast and was climbing quickly up the small ladder before Karl could get another word in. The thought of anyone being able to see up her skirts barely crossed her mind. She’d been climbing trees all her life and modesty was not something she had ever worried much about, plus it gave her a smug sense of satisfaction to imagine her mother’s face if she could see her now.

  Senona had never been so high in her life, and the view did not disappoint. It was breathtaking. She looked around and saw the thin lines that were the land masses of Spain and Africa on either side. However, out here in middle of the Mediterranean Sea they were completely alone with nothing but the wind and the waves for company, friends that could quickly turn on you out in open water. It was a daunting thought, being at the mercy of the waves and on a less than reputable ship. She had seen the Jolly Roger hanging idly below. Captain Foxton made no effort to hide his ship's purpose.

  She could have climbed down then and reported to Karl, but instead she chose to enjoy the view.

  “Breathtaking, ain't it?” asked a young man, standing on the spar directly below her.

  Senona guessed he had just finished unfurling a sail, though she was too caught up in her own thoughts to notice. Reaching down, she held her skirts tightly against her legs, something she hadn’t been able to do while climbing.

  “It's amazing. I would almost be content to stay here forever.”

  “Almost, but not quite?” asked the man.