Sea of Honor (Noble Heart Book 5)

by Cynthia Griffith

  SEA OF HONOR

  CYNTHIA S. GRIFFITH

  COVER ART BY SARAH LOWE

  Copyright © 2009 by Cynthia S. Griffith

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without prior written permission of the author.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter One: The Sea Eagle

  Chapter Two: A Blessing from the Sea

  Chapter Three: Young John Roby

  Chapter Four: Battle at Sea

  Chapter Five: Captive!

  Chapter Six: Light in the Darkness

  Chapter Seven: Pedro Vasquez

  Chapter Eight: Sir Michael

  Chapter Nine: Las Islas Canarias

  Chapter Ten: Tanausu

  Chapter Eleven: Shadows of Dusk

  Chapter Twelve: Men of Honor

  _________

  CHAPTER ONE

  _________

  The Sea Eagle

  Noble glanced down at the wharf below him. Dozens of men scurried to load crates and barrels aboard the ship, heaving heavy boxes onto their shoulders and backs, and once aboard, straining against the ropes as they lowered the cargo into the dark hold of the ship. The air was filled with shouts and curses and the screeching of the gulls circling above them. The same breeze that carried the salty tang of the sea to his nose caught the sails and flapping banners on the huge masts and rippled the surface of the water. Noble could feel the slight movement under his feet as the ship pulled at the thick ropes that kept it tethered to the dock. A quiver seemed to run from his feet up through his legs, and into his stomach, but Noble was not sure if it was due to the eagerness of the Sea Eagle to be on her way, or his own nerves getting the better of him at last.

  He clutched the rail tightly. A voice behind him said, “You’re not seasick already, are you, Sir Noble?”

  “Nay,” he laughed weakly. His voice sounded shaky even to his own ears. “Just excited, I think.”

  Sir Michael clapped him on the shoulder. “You’ll be fine, Noble,” he said sympathetically. “Have you never been on a ship before?”

  Noble shook his head. “I have often been to the harbour, of course, but never aboard a ship. My view has always been from down there,” he pointed. “Who would have thought I would someday be looking out over the dock from a ship’s deck—or sailing out to sea!”

  “It will be a good experience for you then, my friend,” Sir Michael smiled.

  “I hope so.” Noble looked up at the patches of sky that were visible through the ropes and masts and sails. “We are in for good sailing weather, are we not?” he asked. The thought of being seasick had no appeal whatsoever, and for a moment he wondered if King Stephen had made a wise choice after all in sending him on this mission.

  Sir Michael laughed, clearly seeing through his concern. “Yes, Noble. This is the best time of year to sail, and at least for these first few days we should have clear days and calm seas. Hopefully you will have your sea legs before we run into rougher weather. It will not be a long journey after all, you know. The coast of Brittany does not lie far off the shores of England.”

  “Brittany… I have never left my homeland before, Sir Michael. I never dreamed I would go to Brittany, or any other part of France, for that matter.”

  “Well, we shall not be there for long, Sir Noble, so I doubt that you will see much of that land. We shall collect Queen Gwyneth’s dear aunt and then be on our way back home very quickly.”

  “It is an honor to be chosen to escort the Queen’s aunt to Caernarfon,” Noble murmured. He hesitated. “I just hope I don’t shame myself by becoming seasick.”

  Sir Michael laughed. “Relax, Noble! I have never known you to worry about anything, and yet you are concerned about such a small thing as seasickness? You who have faced kidnappers, criminals, gangs of ruffians and enemy armies all alone—and yet you would be unnerved at the very thought of feeding the fish?”

  Noble laughed, a bit red-faced. “Well, when you put it that way, Sir Michael… Yes, I should be shamed at my fear of sailing! The same Lord who has promised to never leave me nor forsake me on dry land will be with me on the sea! Did not He keep Jonah, and Peter, also, in the midst of the storm?”

  “What is this? A knight of the King’s Guard afraid of sailing?”

  Noble and Sir Michael turned to face the man who had come up behind them and overheard their conversation. “Allow me to introduce myself,” the older man said. “I am John Callice, captain of the Sea Eagle.” He reached out to shake their hands.

  Noble looked the captain steadily in the eye as he took his hand. He was not proud of his fear, but he could be certain of his Lord, so he set aside his embarrassment and said firmly, “I am sure we are in good hands, Captain Callice—both yours and our Lord’s.” He introduced himself and Sir Michael.

  The captain stared at Noble for a moment. Perhaps he had judged this young knight too quickly. He was little more than a lad, by the looks of him, but his firm grip and the determination in his face revealed a person of strength and character. The armor of the King’s Guard suited him somehow.

  Sir Michael snorted as he took the captain’s hand in turn. “You need not worry about Sir Noble, Captain. You’ll not find a more courageous king’s man than him.” Noble may not have taken offense at the captain’s words, but Sir Michael certainly had. No one would belittle his young friend in his hearing!

  Captain Callice looked from one young man to the other and then bowed his head first to Noble and then to Sir Michael. “Forgive me, sirs” he murmured. “I meant no disrespect, especially for a knight of the King’s Guard.”

  “No offense taken,” Noble said with a short laugh. He clasped Sir Michael’s arm and went on to say, “I am more used to being on the back of a warhorse than on a ship, that is all. I look forward to seeing the workings of a ship like this—and hopefully as Sir Michael has said, I will soon have my sea legs, as well!”

  “I have no doubt,” Captain Callice said politely. “Permit me to have one of my men show you about the ship. Ah, here is Pyrs Griffith now. He, too, is from Caernarfon and has had a short visit with his family while we have been docked here. Pyrs, these are two of King Stephen’s men—Sir Michael and Sir Noble. Take them first to their cabin and then show them about the ship, if you please. This will be Sir Noble’s first time at sea and he has little knowledge of ships or sailing.”

  Sir Michael looked at him suspiciously. The captain’s voice was mild and there was no hint of disdain on his face, but somehow the knight knew the man had washed his hands of them and would give them no more thought. Captain Callice walked away without a backward glance and Sir Michael turned his attention back to Noble and Pyrs.

  “What kind of ship is this?” Noble was asking the leathery old sailor. Captain Callice had looked well-fed and clothed, but the same could not be said of his men. Although Pyrs seemed to be strong enough, he was thin and gaunt, and his clothes hung from him in tatters. Most of the men laboring around them were in much the same condition.

  “The Sea Eagle is a brigantine,” Pyrs said with a grin. “A merchant ship, she is. Ye see the two masts and the square sails rigged from them? She carries oars, too, for those times when we’re becalmed upon the sea. And we’ve got ten cannons aboard, too!” he pointed out proudly.

  “Cannons? If you’re a merchant ship, what need have you for cannons?” Noble asked curiously.

  “Why to protect against pirates, of course!” Pyrs growled. “Scurvy sea dogs! The Spanish, the French, the D
utch—they’ve all got ‘em! And the worst heathens of them all, the Barbary Corsairs off the coast of Africa.”

  “Yes, and I’ve heard of English pirates, as well,” Sir Michael spoke up, casting a suspicious eye at Pyrs.

  “Nay! The Englishmen you speak of are privateers, not pirates! Sent out by good Queen Bess, they are, for the purpose of bringing treasure to the kingdom!”

  “Privateer or pirate—I suppose it would depend upon your point of view, then,” Sir Michael shrugged. “They both plunder and rob upon the high seas!”

  “Bah!” Pyrs snorted and stomped off.

  “What was that all about, my friend?” Noble asked, frowning. It was unlike Sir Michael to pick a fight, and it had seemed as if that was what he was doing with the old sailor.

  “It is an old argument,” Sir Michael answered the younger knight. “In my opinion privateers are merely legal pirates, authorized by the government to plunder the ships of enemy countries. They would be hung for the same crimes if they did not have that license from the Queen.”

  “Why did Pyrs get so angry?”

  “I’m not sure. I have my suspicions about the Sea Eagle, though. I have heard of Captain John Callice before. He has quite the reputation. He was imprisoned a few years back for piracy and sentenced to hang, but for some reason Queen Elizabeth pardoned him. Since then it is rumored he works for her, but I doubt not that he continues in his old wicked ways.”

  “You are saying we are aboard a pirate ship then?” Noble asked in shock.

  Sir Michael laughed. “Not exactly. The Sea Eagle carries the appearance of being a simple merchant ship, and she most likely is sailing lawfully. Hopefully, there will be no trouble while we are aboard. It is a short journey there and back again, after all. At any rate, there was no choice as to which ship we should take on our mission for King Stephen. The Sea Eagle is the only one sailing to Brittany at this time.”

  Noble leaned against the railing, his chin in his hand as he watched workers on the wharf below cast off the heavy ropes that tied the ship to the dock. The ship slipped away as shouting men ran to and fro, raising sails and hauling in ropes. Three wiry crewmen strained against the spokes of the capstan as the anchor was raised little by little. Noble noticed Captain Callice in the midst of several others, standing on the quarterdeck above them, looking out over his domain. The captain seemed to feel the young knight’s gaze upon him, for he suddenly stared down at him, his face hardening at the sight of the king’s men upon his deck.

  Noble turned to look back at Caernarfon as wind filled the sails and pushed the brigantine out into the harbour. The city shrunk in size as the distance between it and the Sea Eagle grew. Noble sighed. “I pray you’re right,” he finally said to his friend. “We shall hope for a simple, quiet trip. I did not expect that it would be anything else when King Stephen asked us to do this one small favor for him—to escort the queen’s aunt from Brittany. A favor for him? I thought at the time. Why, the king favors us with this request! A chance to sail away into beautiful unknown lands! A chance to see the world a bit! An easy, peaceful task at last!”

  Sir Michael chuckled. “You shall sail away on a blue sea, Sir Noble; you shall see warm, sunny lands, but do not expect ease and peace! Nay, not since I have known you have peace and ease been a part of your life! I do not know if it is because danger and trouble follow you, or if it is because the Lord leads you into them so that you might prove His greatness and glory! King Stephen made no mistake in sending us, though, on this simple task. He knows we are his most trustworthy men, after all!” he added with a grin.

  Noble smiled. “My friend, I appreciate the value you place on me, but I’m afraid you think rather highly of yourself!” he joked.

  Sir Michael burst out laughing, and laid a playful punch on his friend’s arm. “Come, Noble. Since Pyrs has left us on our own, I suppose we must find our cabin by ourselves. We will look for the galley, as well, for dinner must surely be served soon.” The two knights picked up their bundled belongings and moved away from the rail.

  Noble glanced once more over his shoulder as his homeland faded from view and the Sea Eagle moved out to sea. He did not notice Captain Callice watching them from above, nor did he see the steely look in the captain’s eyes or the sneer on his face. If he had, he might have known that danger and trouble were surely lurking somewhere nearby.

  __________

  CHAPTER TWO

  __________

  A Blessing from the Sea

  The Sea Eagle seemed large to Noble, but in reality she was rather small for a brigantine. Other ships like her could hold up to a hundred men, but there were only seventy sailors, more or less, working for Captain Callice. There did not appear to be any other passengers on board that he could see.

  Noble and Sir Michael found their cabin without much trouble. There were only four, after all—one for the captain, another for the first mate, and two empty ones, one of which must be for them, they supposed. The rest of the men slept in dark, cramped quarters below deck.

  Their small cabin was not much better than the regular quarters would have been, as far as room was concerned. They had chosen the one with two bunks in it. The hard wooden beds filled one side of the tiny space, with a chamber pot and little table holding a wash basin in the third corner. There was barely room for the two of them to walk into the cabin at the same time. A porthole on the outside wall let light and fresh air in, at least, and a lantern hung from the low ceiling to provide light at night.

  Noble inspected the fourth cabin. It was not any larger than theirs was, but it had a regular bed with a mattress and looked slightly more comfortable for a woman. They would save it for the return trip when Lady Brynne would need it.

  They left their crowded little cabin as quickly as they could. The galley was below deck. They found a hatch and descended the ladder to the dark hold of the ship. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the dimness. At last they moved away from the steps and picked their way carefully through the crowded space. Hammocks hung everywhere, some right over others. More stacks of wooden bunks lined the walls. A few dirty portholes shed a little poor light but they did not open, so the air below deck was stuffy and smelly and smoky.

  The galley was at the rear of the sleeping quarters. The small space was filthy. Only a few men at a time could eat down there, but Noble wondered why they would even want to. The tables were covered with grease and dried food from countless meals. His boots stuck to the grimy, gritty floor. He turned to Sir Michael, “I think I would prefer to eat up on the deck.” he said. “What do you think?”

  Sir Michael looked around in disgust and nodded his head in agreement. “It makes you wonder how clean the rest of the galley is, doesn’t it? When was the last time the cook washed out his pots and pans?” He sighed. “Well, there is no other food, so we will have to make the best of it for the short time we will be on board. At least if we eat outdoors on the deck, we’ll be able to see if we’re eating a bug or not. And we can more easily feed the fish if we just bypass the stomach altogether and toss the food overboard directly from our dishes!”

  Noble gave a short laugh, but on the inside he was praying, “Lord, help me to be grateful for whatever food you provide—and help me not to get sick! And thank you, Lord, that this journey is a short one!”

  Aloud he said, “Let us remember to buy food for the return trip for ourselves and Lady Brynne when we get to Brittany. I cannot imagine her coming down to this galley – or what she would say if she saw it!”

  “I can!” Sir Michael exclaimed. “I am sure she would have a few choice words for the captain! But that is a good idea, Sir Noble! We will do it. Ah well, let us see for now what the cook has to offer.”

  They did not see the cook. One of his helpers scooped up some sort of porridge into a bowl for each of them and topped it with a chunk of coarse bread. He offered them ale or water. The young men chose tin cups of water.

  At last they were back on top of the dec
k. They moved toward the railing where they could look out over the water as they ate. Streaks of pink, orange and gold colored the sky and were reflected in the water as the sun dipped lower in the sky. A few wispy clouds floated overhead. It was a peaceful scene, despite the activity going on around them on board the ship.

  Noble was lost in thought. He paid little attention to what he was eating until finally Sir Michael said, “Well, Captain Callice certainly wastes no money on feeding his men—nor his passengers, for that matter. I doubt even the fish would care for this supper.” He paused. “Why so quiet, Noble? You’re eating, so it must not be that the food is bothering you.”

  Noble looked down at his bowl, surprised to see that it was half-empty already. He laughed. “I did not even notice! To tell you the truth, I was thinking about my granny—how I wish she could see the beauty of the sea like this! I am sure she has never seen such a sight. I know our journey is a short one and we will soon be home again, but I hated leaving her this time.”

  “She’ll be fine, Noble. She could not be in better hands there in the castle. The queen herself will make sure of that, for she thinks dearly of her. And young Prince William will keep her busy and happy, as well. Your granny is very special to him—as close as if she were his real grandmother.”

  “Yes, I know. Life has been so much easier for her since King Stephen brought her to live at the castle. Truth be told, she’ll be so occupied with William she’ll probably never spare me a thought! I am not worried about Granny—just missing her, I suppose. For some reason it was difficult to say goodbye this time.” Noble gave a sheepish little laugh and tossed his last bite of bread over the railing.

  “Well, don’t think about that! Tell me, did you have as much trouble saying goodbye to your animals?”

  Noble laughed again. “You know me too well, my friend! It will be strange to have neither Valiant nor Hero with me for the next few weeks! I have gotten used to being separated from Fly, for it is difficult as a knight to carry a falcon with me wherever I go. Hero follows me every chance he gets, but Prince William will keep my little dog busy, as well. It is Valiant who will be missing me the most, I suppose. He will not take kindly to being left in the stable, or out to pasture while I am gone. There has scarcely been a day that we have not been together since King Stephen gave him to me a year ago.”