Whisper of Suffering

by Samantha Jacobey

Outwardly, he remained calm, although his heart raced beneath his thin white shirt. He had considered the girl next to him out of reach, but she appeared to be receptive. Whatever the Mate had done had surely pushed her in his direction, and he would take it. But, could he convince her to hold her fervor until he would be ready to begin their quest?

  “Maybe we could hide you somewhere,” he offered.

  “Hide me? You know I can’t stay here!”

  “Not here,” he laughed aloud. “You could take a ship to another town. I’ve been to many, and some are rather decent. You could wait there, and I would meet up with you.” His gaze flicked down at her lips, admiring their pink fullness and how they might taste if he dared to kiss them. “Would you wait for me, Ami?” His voice soft, his eyes grew wide with the unspoken promise his words held.

  “And we would sail to the west and explore it?” She sounded genuinely excited. Sitting up straighter in her chair, her face glowed with the possibilities. Her journey seemed far less daunting if she were to have someone, a man in fact, along to look after her, and Rey would be the perfect choice.

  “We could, I guess,” he faltered, thinking fast. “But there are other places I would want to show you first.” He realized she had missed his meaning; he would have to be clearer at some point.

  “Well, the west is what I want to see,” she replied more stiffly, clutching his arm. “Please, Rey. Promise me you’ll take me there.”

  “I promise,” he agreed with a laugh, caught up in her whimsical state. He wouldn’t, of course; only a fool would purposely go to a place no one ever came back from. But if she believed that he would, he had time to change her mind. “It’s settled. When we get back to Nalen, I’ll help you find a ship to a safe waiting place, and I’ll join you there when my contract is fulfilled.”

  “Agreed,” she offered him her hand, beaming at her cunningness.

  He shook the appendage, certain in her plans to travel with him. He would have time to convince her that he was as good a man as any, even the Mate, and of a better age for her at that. If he were able, he would have her hand, and it would be a new life for both of them that they found in that place she was searching for.

  After finishing the meal, the pair moved to the bed and continued to visit, but as the afternoon wore on, Ami grew restless. “Let’s go up to the wheel house and look at the map,” she suggested, climbing off of the bunk. “We can make our plans for my place of waiting and all those we wish to visit.”

  “We can’t do that,” he replied, feeling a bit of panic, “Mate’s orders were clear. You remain here for the duration of the voyage,” he said sternly, rising next to her.

  “I’m sure he won’t mind,” she insisted, fishing her hairbrush out of her bag and brushing out her long blond strands.

  Ami’s hair had always been wild, with a frizz of curls when she didn’t keep it bound. Forcing it down, she wound the long locks into a braid to keep them in place and tied it off so that it hung down her back in a heavy lump. “I promise, I won’t go anywhere else. No one will even notice that I’m there.”

  A knot formed in Rey’s gut, as he knew full well that anyone who looked up at the wheel house would know that she was there. “Ami, please,” he breathed. Stepping towards her and catching her hand, he toyed with her fingers. “I haven’t asked you to do much. Please stay inside and don’t get us into trouble.”

  “Are you afraid of the first mate?” she asked, her clear green orbs cutting through him like warm butter. “You’re a man, the same as he is. You are perfectly capable of watching over me there as easily as here,” she argued.

  Swallowing, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and he bit his bottom lip as he turned her words for a moment. He might be a man, but the Mate had more than twenty years on him. Twenty years of muscle and sweat, as well as experience with other men and the world. If anything happened to her, the Mate would beat him to a pulp.

  He wanted desperately to follow the other man’s advice, but doing so might make him appear smaller, weaker in the girl’s eyes. If she were going to save herself for him, he needed to appear capable of being the only man she needed, and his ego took control. “All right then, at dusk I’ll take you up. We’ll watch the sun set, and then return for our dinner.”

  “But that’s still hours from now,” she persisted.

  “It’s the best I can do,” he maintained, towering over her smaller frame. “I’ve grown quite fond of you, Amicia Spicer. If you truly wish to be my companion, then you understand I would never place you in harm’s way. I said I would take you up, and I will, but you have to trust me on the rest.”

  Ami glared at him, his forcefulness unlike the boy she had been getting to know. “All right, Rey,” she acquiesced, “I’ll do as you ask.” She felt as if she were toying with him, that he had greater desires for their future than simple travel-mates would imply, and she should set him straight. However, honesty hadn’t worked well for her so far. Perhaps allowing him to believe so would serve her better.

  Returning to her seat, she picked up one of the books the first mate had located and presented to her, probably from the captain’s collection. Opening it, she read the pages to him slowly, turning them one by one as she distracted herself until it was time for them to go outside and get some air.

  Three hours later, Piers came down from the upper deck and a visit to the head, facing towards the stern. Stomping over the wooden slats, the sun setting to his left as they headed south before turning east for Nalen, he caught the glimpse of a female form standing at the chart table. Shit, he grunted, increasing his pace.

  Skirting the cargo hold, he looked around to see who else might have noticed her. His heart thumping loudly in his ears, he entered the narrow passage that ran along the west railing, glancing into his quarters as he passed by.

  The lamp had not been lit, and it would be dark in the small room when they returned. Stupid girl, he fumed, reaching the stairs and clomping up to the wheel house. And Rey let her do it.

  Reaching the top, he exploded, “What the bloody hell is going on here?” Shoving a finger in her face when he reached her, he bellowed, “You are supposed to remain below!” With a quick pivot, he addressed the younger man, “And you are supposed to keep her there! What the fuck are you thinking, bringing her out like this?”

  Holding his resolve, Rey stood his ground. “Relax, Mate. She isn’t harmed. We came for the view of the sunset and to spend a bit of time with the charts. I’ll take her back below in a few minutes, and none will be the wiser.”

  “None will be the wiser?” Piers poked him in the chest, forcing him to take a step back. “These are dangerous waters and having a woman up on deck is just asking for trouble,” he growled.

  “The sun’s almost gone,” the girl laughed, defending her right to enjoy it. “What harm could come of it?”

  Glaring at her, the first mate considered his options. Their argument had made a much larger scene than if he had simply allowed her to enjoy the view. “Tonight. That’s it. After that, you stay below, and you don’t set foot outside that cabin until we put in at Nalen.”

  “And you,” he turned on the other man once more, “clear your things out of my cabin. Bally and I will take it from here.”

  “Piers, please!” Ami leapt to his defense. “This was my idea, I swear it! Please don’t punish Rey for my choice,” she begged, her bottom lip trembling at his dismissal.

  “Enjoy the view,” the Mate clipped, ignoring her plea. Instead, he stomped over to the side and glared out at the golden sun as it set. His eyes danced along the western horizon, in search of what he wasn’t sure.

  “Fool kids,” he muttered under his breath.

  Men weren’t the only dangerous things out on the ocean, and not the deadliest. There were other creatures who would tear the ship apart if they caught the scent of a woman on board. He had never seen one, but he had heard the stories and been close enough to the danger. He hoped that he never would.

  Sul
king, Ami moved to stand beside him, watching the sinking ball of fire. “It’s beautiful,” she gasped. “I think I’ve never seen a sunset so large.”

  His anger softened, Piers found it difficult holding onto his rage. “Yes, the sun in the west is a magical thing.”

  “Magical?” she repeated with a small smile. “Have you ever sailed beyond the western horizon, Mate? Past the coast of the great ring?”

  “Only once,” he nodded. “The crew had been terrified. We got caught in a great storm, or we wouldn’t have gone there at all. We were lucky to survive,” he said in a quieter tone, gazing down at her. “I want to protect you, love. I’m sorry that I hurt you last night.”

  “It was my fault,” she sighed, as the last bit of light disappeared, and the darkness pressed down upon them fully. Drawing her sweater around her, she grinned. “I had a friend about your age, back in Nalen. You remind me of him sometimes. There, he was the one always pressing me to marry him and have a family. I know how it can feel when you don’t really want that, but someone else does,” she confessed, the air between them crackling with an attraction she had no desire to resist.

  Catching movement over her shoulder, she glanced at Rey, having forgotten that he was there. Grinning at him, she said more loudly, “Maybe someday I’ll meet the right man and we’ll both feel the same way at the same time.”

  Rey smiled at the suggestion, then asked, “Are we ready for the meal?”

  “Yes,” Piers didn’t hesitate. “Go below and get our platter. I’ll light the lamp and get our lady settled in,” he said to her with a wink.

  Back inside his cabin, they discovered that Bally had delivered their dinner and the lamp already burned. “I thought she wasn’t allowed outside,” he stated crossly. Realizing that he had missed out, he had taken to fuming in the cabin while he waited for them to come down and join him.

  “She isn’t,” the Mate agreed, “but fortunately, it would appear no harm has come of it.” Taking his seat, he served himself, as did the others, and they ate in near silence.

  Half way through the meal, the wind began to howl, and thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance. A firm thud shook the ship from port to starboard, causing it to rock in an unusual fashion. The others looked surprised, but the older man’s eyes held pure terror. Leaping from his seat, he threw open the door and stepped out onto the ledge, where he could hold on to the railing and peer into the darkness.

  Lining up beside him, the four of them surveyed the churning water below them, not seeing anything but the flashes of lightning in the clouds rolling in low overhead.

  “Perhaps it was the wind,” the girl offered with a small laugh. “You said this was a strange part of the sea,” she said to Bally with a small punch to the arm.

  “No, it’s not the wind,” Piers informed her, hearing the distinct sound of wings flapping beyond their view. His heart pounding, he knew the beast was upon them, and it was too late to run. Catching her by the arm, he pulled her closer and commanded, “We have to get off this ship, now! It’s our only chance!”

  “Off the ship!” Rey demanded, “Have you gone mad? It’s a little storm. We go back inside and wait it out.”

  His eyes wide, the first mate shook his head. He had never seen one, but he had heard that sound before. “No, Rey, it’s not a storm. It’s a dragon. It has come for her, and if we don’t get off this ship, it will kill us all.”

  Dragon’s Fire

  Ami stood stunned by the Mate’s words, “What do you mean a dragon?” Sure, they had talked about them only yesterday, with Bally telling her they were real, but she still couldn’t believe it. Cannibals, maybe, but not dragons!

  “We don’t have time to argue,” the Mate shouted back. Dodging inside his quarters, with the girl close behind, he claimed her bag from its place on the back of the door and dumped it out on the bed. Giving it a shake, he announced, “We can use this. Let’s go!”

  Grabbing her small sack of coins and shoving it in her pocket, the girl followed him, still grumbling, “I don’t understand why we would leave a perfectly good boat, in the middle of a storm, no less.”

  Catching her around the waist, Rey urged her along, calling over the howling wind, “The Mate’s a good man, Ami! A good leader. If he says we have to go, we go!” Glancing over at his friend at the same time, Bally appeared a pasty, ghost-white when a flash of light lit up his features, tightening Rey’s gut with fear. “I hope,” he added under his breath as they crossed the deck towards the entrance to the hold.

  Reaching the mid deck, Piers shoved the bag at Ami. “Take this and go below. Fill it with as much of the dried meat, cheese, and bread as you can. And try to keep it dry. It’s no good to us if it gets wet and spoils.”

  Turning to Baldwin, he gave his next order. “Rey, you and Bally go find us some rope, all that you can get, and take it below. Use or cut some smaller pieces to form handles inside the lids to four of the empty water casks.”

  “Inside the lids?” Bally asked, his brow furrowed.

  “Yes, inside, so a person can hide within and pull the lid shut on top of him.”

  “Aye, sir,” Bally replied, pushing through his fear. He had complete faith in the first mate and no desire to let him down.

  Finally, seizing the lines to the pullies, Piers shouted over the rising wind, “Grab ho, men. We need to get the hold open!” He knew if the doors were damaged before they did, they would not be able to get their raft out once they had built it, and that would be the end.

  Heaving on the pullies with all his strength, he groaned loudly with his effort. Confused, but obedient, the crew joined in to help. The wind gusted against him, and Piers struggled to hold his feet as he strained, hoping they would have enough time to complete their task before the real attack began. A few seconds later, the great doors were open, and he headed below.

  Down in the hold, Amicia dug through the crates of food with trembling hands. She had located a few strips of the leather from the tanner, similar to the large sheets she had used as bedding when she first came on board. Lining her bag with them, she anticipated that they would hold the water out and preserve their food, as the first mate had requested.

  Snatching up handfuls of the dried meats, she shoved those in first, followed by a few rounds of cheese. “Oh, my God!” she gasped. I need the dagger. The one that belonged to mother. Would she have time to retrieve it?

  Topping off the pack with some loaves of flatbread, she forced it closed and tied the strings to hold it shut. Then, throwing it over her shoulder, she mounted the stairs. Climbing quickly, she wanted to make it to the Mate’s quarters and back before anyone noticed that she was gone.

  The storm had increased exponentially, and the ship tossed around like a cork in a bottle. Cold rain slapped her in the face when she entered the narrow tunnel that led to the wheel house. Squinting her eyes against it, she made it to the door and grasped the frame firmly as the ship rolled on a giant wave, her body trembling with adrenaline only exaggerated by the frigid downpour.

  Once it had crested, she was able to step inside and dug hurriedly through the contents of her bag that had been strewn upon the bed. Locating the small knife, she shoved it inside the top of the pack. Realizing anything left behind would be lost forever, she made another sift through the mess.

  Spying her hairbrush and mirror, she claimed those as well. Finally, opening her mother’s box of stationary, she rolled it around the pen and shoved it and the ink down into her pack before declaring the rest to be worthless.

  Throwing the bag onto her back once more, Ami fought the continued heave of the deck as she returned to the center. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled as she clamored back down the stairs, where she found that Piers and the others were building a raft. Just as she reached them, a fierce scream from a large, unseen beast filled the air.

  Ami froze in place, anchored by fright.

  Piers could see the terror in her eyes. “Ami, help us,” he commanded, hop
ing to distract her from the creature circling above them. “We need to work quickly.” The raft taking shape, they had lashed a group of four empty barrels onto a pallet with a single filled water cask in the center, the lid on it tightly closed.

  “This is madness!” Rey shouted, indicating the full barrel in the middle. “It will sink us for sure.”

  “No, it will float,” the Mate insisted. “I’m going up top. You secure the net so we can hoist our raft over the side.” Seeing that Ami still had not moved, Piers grabbed her by the arms, giving her a shake. “Amicia! Listen to me! I know that you are frightened, but you have to trust me. I’ve faced a dragon before, on that ship I told you about. I’ve seen the fire inside of you, Ami. I know that you can do this, but you have to be strong. You can’t give up!”

  Moving only her eyes, she looked at him, his face shoved down close to hers as he spoke. “I’m scared,” she managed.

  “I know that you’re scared,” he repeated, pulling her against him into a full embrace as water dripped down their faces. “We can do this, love. I swear it. You just have to believe.”

  “I believe,” she parroted, nodding against him.

  “Good. Get the ropes and nets in place,” he called to the others as he released her. Taking her hand, he led her to the stairs. “You have our food?” he asked, inspecting the lump on her back.

  “Yes,” she nodded, her teeth chattering. “And my mum’s knife. I got the knife,” she stammered, her thoughts jumbled. Blinking against the spray, she willed herself to focus on him.

  “Good, come with me,” he implored, tugging on her arm as they climbed.

  Up top, he dropped the ropes for the hoist down into the hold and shouted, “Secure the lines! I’m going to need a hand!”

  Doing as they were told, the pair quickly had the large net put in place. Once Rey and Bally made the final connections, they climbed for the top. Above them, the Mate and a couple of the crewmen gave the taut ropes a firm pull, hoisting their contraption to the deck and setting it down, allowing it to rest there.