Chronicles of the Dragon Pirate

by David Talon

  In the silence a single pair of hands continued clapping. An uneasy mutter swept through crew and villagers alike as Master Le’Vass strode to the edge of the firelight. “Who is out there? Show yourself.”

  The clapping stopped. A moment later a young woman’s voice answered him. “If it is all the same to you, I shall remain where I am.” The voice sounded no older than I was but both cultured and elegant, as if she was someone far older and much more sophisticated than I was. “I complement you upon your dancing, sir. I was in Venice when the Mirror dance was coming into fashion, and you have brought back to me many happy memories. Now, as to my name, I am Arabella...and I am a Hunter of Shadowmen.”

  “You hunt Shadowmen?” Master Le’Vass’s voice turned mocking. “No doubt you take on entire crews yourself with only a cutlass.”

  “Hardly,” Arabella’s voice answered, sounding amused. “There are times when a Shadowman turns into a renegade and goes off alone, usually after his captain dies and no other has taken control of him, and when that happens I learn of it and hunt him down for the bounty the Spanish crown offers.”

  “Captain Hawkins,” Brother Tristan called out from where he was standing next to Isaac, “I know this woman’s voice. When I was part of the Franciscan monastery in Merida, on the Yucatan peninsula, a young woman who called herself a Shadowhunter brought one of the Shadowmen to the royal governor and he paid her in gold Reales. The governor then turned the Shadowman over to us for trial.”

  Captain Hawkins and I strode up to stand beside Master Le’Vass as he asked, “What did she look like?”

  “She looked no older than eighteen and was quite comely, but also was pale as a Shadowman herself and wore dark clothes despite the heat. However, she drank a cup of wine at the royal governor’s request, which all know a Shadowman will not do as it poisons them, and at the tavern that night ate bread and drank beer with the men around her.”

  “You saw this?” Captain Hawkins asked.

  “I did, to be sure,” the monk answered. “I was keeping a watch on her at my abbot’s request.”

  Mr. Smith came over to join us as did Pepper, Sally and Redbeard beside her. The large Scotsman called out, “Be you certain she brought a Shadowman and not some poor deluded fool?”

  “The abbot placed him in a cell with several others who were to be put to the question. The Shadowman waited until the gaoler walked away then attacked one of the prisoners, tearing out the man’s throat with his teeth. He then drank the man’s blood as it spurted out. When we found him, the other prisoners were huddled in a corner of the cell together but the Shadowman was quite merry, drunk as a Dutch sailor, to be sure. He was still that way when we questioned him, confessing his crimes with no need of persuasion. The acts he admitted to...” Brother Tristan shuddered. “Suffice to say the abbot had him burned without delay, and the Shadowman...he sang bawdy songs as the flames consumed him and never screamed, not even once.”

  “Shadowmen do not feel pain,” Arabella’s voice said from the darkness. “Pain is useless to them, since they do not heal, so it was, in a sense, bred out of them.”

  Several of the crew catcalled about Shadowmen not healing, saying that was impossible, but they quieted as Pepper spoke up. “She speaks the truth about their lack of pain and inability to heal. They don’t bleed, so if you cut their throat they’ll just have it sewn back up again. The only things that kill them are blows to the heart or the head.”

  “Shadowmen actually do bleed,” Arabella’s voice said. “There is a great vessel running up the spine connecting their hearts to their brains, and if you sever it then they will die. But it takes a mighty blow to do this, so striking for the heart or the head is the better choice. I believe the Frenchman called you Petite Pepper: I find it interesting to hear such knowledge from someone so young.”

  Pepper got a fearful look as the Shadowhunter spoke her name and I put an arm around her, Pepper clinging to me as I called out, “How do you know so much? You can’t be a lot older than I am.”

  “Do not let my appearance of youth deceive you,” Arabella said from the darkness, “for I am far older than I look or sound.”

  “So why are you here?” Captain Hawkins called out. “You’ll find no Shadowmen on Big Bluff.”

  “On the hill, no,” she answered. “But there is a nest of renegade Shadowmen in the village of Freehold, more than I can take out alone.”

  “A nest of them,” Master Le’Vass called out in a skeptical voice, “and the people of Freehold are just allowing it?”

  “Jean,” Isaac said as he hurried over, his large stomach bouncing as he moved, “she may be telling the truth. Freehold has become a very strange place in the last year, and pale men wearing dark clothing have been seen lurking on the streets at night.”

  “Captain Hawkins,” Thomas Tew said from a short distance away, his normally smiling face very serious, “my Madonna here says we must stay away from Freehold.” The fair skinned woman with the badly broken nose looked terrified, as if she was ready to bolt and only Thomas’s grip on her arm was stopping her. “She says she escaped from the inn called the ‘End of the World’ where she saw many terrible things.” He looked down at her face. “Will you tell us about them?”

  The woman shook her head no and suddenly broke down, clinging to Thomas as she sobbed. He looked rather uncomfortable, patting her shoulder in an absent way as Pepper let me go and went to the woman, the fearful look gone from Pepper’s face as she spoke quietly in the woman’s ear. Thomas looked relieved as the fair skinned woman let him go and clung to Pepper instead, who led the woman past us as she spoke. “Captain, I’ll get what I can out of her,” Pepper looking at me as she added, “we’ll be down by the overturned canoe by the water.”

  I put my hand on Pepper’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “You’re a good person.”

  “I’ve been where she was,” Pepper answered.

  As she led the woman away, Captain Hawkins called out to the darkness, “Alright, I believe you. But what has a nest of Shadowmen to do with us?”

  “A favor for a favor,” Arabella’s voice answered. “There is a ship of the Draco Dominus docked at the village called ‘Freedom Bay’, on the opposite side of the island, captained by an unusual woman you may have heard of... Cholula.”

  I felt a stab of fear as the captain glanced at me then back at the darkness. “The name is known to me, but again, what of it? Doubtless she’s gathering supplies and has no knowledge of our existence...if she’s even docked at Freedom Bay at all.”

  “Oh, she is there,” Arabella said. “She saw the sinking of the Dutch Flyte, avoided the galleon responsible, and followed you here. Right now she has a dragon-ghost keeping watch atop the great hill behind me.”

  An uneasy muttering swept the crew as Master Le’Vass called out, “So if she knows where we are, why has she not attacked?”

  “Because her life has become complicated,” Arabella answered. “She and I have had dealings before, so when we spoke earlier today she opened up some of her heart to me. Draco Dominus has declared her to be a pirate, so she will get no more support from them.”

  “It’s probably true, sir,” I said quietly to the captain.

  He gave me a speculative look as Arabella continued. “This means she has no interest in attacking pirates for them anymore, but you have something...or should I say, someone, she wants. So, she asked me to come to you, to see if a deal could be struck mutually beneficial to both sides.”

  “Tomas is Dragon-sworn to me,” Captain Hawkins growled, “and will not be traded away like a bale of goods.” His voice became mocking. “Go tell the good captain we strike no bargains with Draco Dominus, regardless of whether they’ve fallen out of favor or not.”

  Shouts of approval came from the crew at his words, but all quieted as Arabella’s voice rang out in a mocking laugh. “Oh how brave you are, Harry Hawkins...and how foolish. Were this any ot
her captain, you would have the right of it; he would not risk his ship and his crew over one Dragon, no matter how much potential he showed. But this is Captain Cholula we speak of. She will follow you to the ends of the earth and beyond to get her heart’s desire...and she wants the boy standing beside you more than she has ever wanted any other thing, at least according to her mercenary, Karl.”

  Jeremiah walked in front of me and crossed his arms. I felt a large presence behind me, and glanced back to see Redbeard had done the same. Then the Mulatto stepped beside Jeremiah and crossed his arms as well, his voice ringing out into the darkness, “There’s your answer, Punch-house strumpet.”

  Her response was considerably cooler than it had been. “Is that your answer, Captain Hawkins?”

  “My crew speaks more eloquently in action than I ever could in words,” Captain Hawkins replied. “Tell Cholula I wish no enmity between us, but as long as I am captain, Tomas remains with me.”

  “I shall let her know. I will also give you some advice, for the sake of olde times. Cholula fears if she swings her ship around the island and attacks from the sea, she will lose the lad when your crew scatters like rats. But once she discovers the grey-stone roads she will attack you from both directions, so you must keep a watch on them as well.”

  “There is nothing keeping us here,” Captain Hawkins called out. “I can have the Blackjack Davy loaded and on our way to Tortuga before Cholula ever lifts anchor.”

  “Harry,” Arabella’s voice called out in exasperation, “she will know the moment you do, and be after you just as fast.”

  “We can outrun her.”

  “I am sure you can, but...have you ever watched a turtle go after a fish trapped in a pond? The fish is faster but the turtle is patient, and sooner or later the fish gets distracted by something else while the turtle sneaks up and takes a bite. After that, it is only a matter of time before the turtle devours the fish. You have five Artifact cannons of short to perhaps moderate range, with untrained gun crews, and I promise you she has long range cannons made of bronze as well as far more Artifact guns, and crews experienced in their use. And let us not forget her Dragons. She has a half-dozen that I know of, all veteran warriors. How many do you have, perchance? Now, her crew is fanatical...”

  “Enough,” Captain Hawkins growled. “I have heard such nay-saying before, yet here I stand.”

  “For a little while, perhaps. Harry, let me speak with her and perhaps I can persuade the turtle to withhold her bite for a time, for the sake of her crew. Keep watch over the grey-roads until I return.”

  Mr. Smith suddenly called out in his deep rumble, “You said a favor for a favor...what do you want?”

  “One of the Shadowmen I seek is now known as ‘Black Pox Bill’, although Harry once knew him under a different name: ‘Sweet William’.” Arabella’s voice grew as bone-chilling as the wind off a grave. “He is my price. Kill any of the renegade Shadowmen you wish but save me Black Pox Bill. Give me your word you will do this, and I will use my wiles to get Cholula to see reason...at least for a time.”

  “First,” the captain called out, “I have no intention of hunting down Shadowmen for you, renegades or not. Second...why do you care so much about Sweet William?”

  “To the first, Shadowmen love gold for its beauty and this nest has been collecting it for some time now.” At the mention of the word gold, a speculative murmur swept the crew as Arabella’s voice went on. “As to the second...I had a life once, a life the man known as Sweet William took away from me. That is why I hunt Shadowmen now: to gain revenge.”

  “If William comes to call, you’re welcome to him,” Captain Hawkins replied. “But we’ll be careening barnacles off the hull of the Davy before that happens.”

  “Black Pox Bill may surprise you,” Arabella’s voice said cryptically out of the darkness, “and if he does...ask him about the day he found you, washed up on the beach. You had a life once, yourself, Harry Hawkins.”

  “What do you mean by that? Speak plain.” Only silence answered the captain.

  “She is already on one of the grey-stone roads,” Jade’s voice said from beside me, as the crew and villagers began talking in uneasy voices and Jeremiah turned towards us while the Mulatto went back to his men. “There is something strange about her, but with Tomas’s strength within me I cannot see her as clearly as I could if I had none.”

  “Well don’t shed it,” Captain Hawkins said. “I don’t need to know any more about her than I do right now. But we do need to take her advice and begin having the dragon-ghosts run patrols, not only down the roads but along the coasts as well.” He glanced up at the top of the enormous hill, glowing reddish in the darkness. “I wonder... who is the watcher ?”

  “Her name is Red-dog,” Star’s voice answered. “Me and Tiger had nothing to do, so we flew to the top of the hill to see what was there. Red-dog remembered us and we renewed the peace between us, and then I asked her what she was doing there. She said she’d been assigned to keep watch.” There were several groans and Star’s voice became contrite. “I didn’t realize she was watching us, or I would’ve said something to Tomas.”

  “At least you’re telling me now,” I said, reminding myself again they reasoned like children much of the time.

  “I can chase her away if you wish,” Jade’s voice said.

  “Wait,” Mr. Smith said before the captain could speak. “We know they’re watching us, but they don’t know we know. However, if Jade chases their dragon-ghost away...”

  “Then the dance is over and the piper comes for his pay,” Captain Hawkins said. “Leave her where she is for now, but run the patrols discreetly so she doesn’t get suspicious.” He looked at me. “Can any of your girls follow the Shadowhunter?”

  “I can,” a very young girl’s voice said. “I used up all the strength Tomas gave me, so I’ll be able to see her clearly. I can follow her to see where she goes, and when I get back I’ll give Big Sister everything, so she can see the Shadowhunter too.”

  “Which one are you?” Mr. Smith asked.

  “I’m Grey-mouse.”

  “Grey-mouse,” I said, “I want you to be extra careful when you follow her, and if you see any of the Dark Sisters you fly back to Jade as fast as you can.” She said she would and I added, “Once you get back, I’ll begin working with you more so we can get you as big as Star or Tiger soon.”

  “Yippee!”

  “She’s on her way,” Star said after a moment.

  Guilt rose up within me as I stared out into the darkness. “Why do I feel like I just sent a child to do something dangerous?”

  “Such is the nature of command,” Captain Hawkins remarked. “Those who would give orders must live with the consequences...and speaking of such, we must prepare if the turtle decides to bite after all. Tomas, find Pepper and return to the ship. Jeremiah, you’ve a good hand at working wood, so I want you to work with Journeyman Edward in getting cutlasses ready...”

  The captain continued giving orders as I turned and walked towards the Davy, past groups of crewmen and villagers all seeming to talk at once, until I reached the shoreline where Pepper was standing alone. The restless sea was lapping at the dugout canoe, now turned right-side up, with Jade’s large air-golem half in the water and half out, as if she was a real mermaid herself. “I thought it prudent to keep the air-golem away from the villagers as much as possible. The crew is used to dragon-ghosts but Haven is not, and I fear this Shadowhunter has unnerved them.”

  “She quite unnerved me,” Pepper replied.

  “Me too,” I admitted, helping Pepper into the canoe then getting in myself. Jade pulled us across the water to the ship, Pepper and I climbing out then up the boarding net as the mermaid pulled the canoe back to shore. We reached the deck rail and I scrambled over it before helping Pepper, the two of us holding hands as we looked around. “Where is everyone?”

  “Down below,” Hob’s
thin, reedy voice answered. The main deck was faintly lit from the bobbing Will-o-the-wisps far above us, making shadows seem to move on the deck, empty save for ourselves and Hob, who sat on a water barrel some distance away. “When the spirits above us began dancing, I offered to take the watch until they’re done, and strange as it seems, the men accepted.”

  Glancing up at the top of the mainmast I could understand their feelings as Pepper suddenly gasped. “Hob, what are you doing with my teacup?”

  I looked back down. Hob rose up from where he’d been sitting on the barrel and I realized he was holding Pepper’s delicate, chipped cup with the Chinese tea scene on it in his spindly grey hand. He held it up. “This?” He dropped it.

  Then caught it again at once. “Hob, please none of your tricks,” Pepper pleaded, her voice sounding close to tears as she took a step forward. “Give it back.”

  Hob gave her a wicked grin. “Oh, you’ll get it back...one way or another. Follow me.” The goblin leaped off the barrel and raced for the stairs leading up. We raced after him, curving around the closed main hatch and mainmast as we reached the gap between the captain’s cabin and Sally’s, and pelted up the stairs after him.

  We reached the captain’s deck and stopped. Hob was standing on the tiller, his thin arm holding the teacup outstretched over the deck. I called out, “Hob, don’t do it. That cup means a lot to Pepper, and letting it smash would be cruel.”

  “Crueler than you could imagine,” Hob replied. “So you’d best catch it before it hits the deck.”

  “He can’t,” Pepper wailed. “Tomas could never run fast enough to save my mother’s cup, even if he dove for it. There won’t be enough time!”

  “Ah, the question of time,” Hob said, getting a sly look on his face. “Tomas, what if you had enough time to catch the cup before it smashed... what then?”