The High-Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate

by Scott Nash

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Set us a course for Oak’s Eye Cay.”

  “Oak’s Eye Cay! Yes, sir!” said Crossbill. “What course, sir?”

  “Southeast. Should be less than two days.”

  “True, Captain,” said Crossbill, “but southeast?”

  “It will be the shortest route. I sense the crew needs a bit of a diversion, a little of the old R ’n’ R and right quick, if you know what I mean. We can spend a couple of days on Oak’s Eye, gather some supplies, and plan our next excursion.”

  “Yes, sir. I understand,” said Crossbill. “My concern is with the wind. We have a steady stream here. We’ll have to lower altitude to fly southeast, and it’s bound to be breezy to nothing down below the airstream.”

  “Aye, but the ship’s nearly empty and so can take full advantage of whatever wind there is,” said Jay. “Let’s take her down and put her under full sail. If need be, we’ll kedge a bit here and there.”

  “Aye, but if I may . . .” said Crossbill, who was always a bit formal in his speech.

  “Speak freely, Crossbill!” said Blue Jay.

  “What about your cousin?” said Crossbill.

  “Teach?” said Jay. “Aye, he’s been more trouble than usual of late, hasn’t he?”

  Teach was the leader of the notorious Crows of Black Point. They were pirates who preferred attacking ships from the ground in heavily armed swarms that overwhelmed most of the ships they targeted. Usually the crows were satisfied to empty the ships of their cargo and send them on their way. But of late, Teach and his cronies had been commandeering entire ships and murdering or marooning the crew. This ruthless behavior was considered dishonorable by most pirates, who generally spared the crew of any ship they plundered and left them with enough provisions to sustain themselves until they reached the nearest port. Murdering and marooning any sailor without just cause was despicable, and it seemed that Teach had taken to doing just that. To make matters worse, as a corvid, Teach was also a not-too-distant cousin of Blue Jay.

  “Teach has been harassing pirate ships as well,” said Snipe. “It’s said that he has twenty-four ships in a single tree at Black Point and that eight of them had flown black flags.”

  “Ha!” Jay laughed. “Teach is me cousin, and while he and I have been rivals since we were fledglings, he would not dare attack my ship. He may harass us a bit, flying so close to the forest, but look down there.” Jay pointed down toward the main deck, where Gabriel sat alone with Junco.

  Jay continued: “I have no desire to see my cousin under any circumstance, but if we do, won’t it be grand to see Teach’s expression when he comes face-to-face with our Gabriel there?”

  “He might think twice about boarding our ship,” agreed Crossbill.

  “So, Bill, shall we sail to Oak’s Eye?” asked Blue Jay.

  “Aye, sir! Due south it is,” said Crossbill. “To Oak’s Eye!”

  Oak’s Eye Cay was a safe haven for pirates in what was becoming a world of inhospitable colonial ports. Oak’s Eye was a green island atop a towering cliff, surrounded by an ocean of ancient pine trees that was known as the Great Northeast Forest, or Paxwood. The eastern face of the cay was a semicircular cliff rising four hundred feet over the forest, topped by a dense stand of wide oaks. The pirates could see for miles from this vantage point. The cay resembled a gigantic tree stump with a grove of trees growing on the cut. The western face sloped gently toward Paxwood Forest and was covered by trees that surrounded a small pond about halfway down the mountain slope. On the eastern side of the pond, hidden behind a bramble, was a tunnel, a passageway to the Glitter Cavern at the heart of the cliff. This vast, hollow vault contained a large subterranean lake. Two passageways connected the main cavern: one in the east named Spy and one in the west named Handle. These provided illumination to Glitter Cavern, which was a sight to behold on sunny mornings and afternoons. The cavern would sparkle with golden light reflecting off the surface of the lake. Hence the name Glitter Cavern. The illumination of the cavern was so spectacular that it led to the common belief that there was a fortune in treasure, gold, and jewels at the bottom of the lake. Of course, no birds, not even ducks or loons, had ever proved this. If there was treasure there, it remained out of the reach of birds, even swimming and diving birds.

  The light often created two spectacular effects. In the morning, light would stream through Spy, bounce around the cavern, and slip out of Handle, lighting the small pond on the western side named the Ladle. On these mornings, The Ladle looked like a giant bowl of glowing soup, complete with steam as the fog lifted from its surface. It was considered an enchanted pool by most animals, who avoided it. The pirates, of course, knew better. The second phenomenon was even more awe-inspiring. At sunset, with a pink or red sky in the background, the light would stream out of Spy on the dark eastern side of the cay and project over the forest. This light in the middle of the dark cliff side was known as the Oak’s Eye. It could be seen for miles burning red-orange and gold in the center of the dark mountains.

  Both the cavern and pond were guarded by an ancient turtle named Snapper. He was over three feet long and said to be more than one hundred years old. No one dared to get too close to the water for fear of being snapped by Snapper. No one, that is, save Blue Jay, who was one of his best friends and would spend hours sharing stories with the old turtle.

  The crew of the Grosbeak was cheered by the news that they were sailing to Oak’s Eye Cay. They eagerly settled into their tasks. For the time being, contentment had been restored to the ship. Oak’s Eye Cay was two days away under the best conditions. Unfortunately, the Grosbeak and her crew weren’t going to experience the best of anything for quite some time.

  Down upon the forest floor,

  Don’t fall asleep upon the leaves.

  The ground is where we go to die,

  Strangled by a noose of soil.

  “Heave away, mates! Heeeeeave!” croaked Snipe, as he and the rest of the crew strained at their kedging lines to pull their ship skyward. It was the tenth day since the Grosbeak had begun its two-day journey to Oak’s Eye Cay, and nothing, absolutely nothing, had been going according to Blue Jay’s plan. Crossbill’s concern about the southerly route had been correct. The cool breezes that blew from the north were light and inconsistent. Adding to the frustration, the west wind overhead began to build and carried a tantalizing stream of merchant ships, flying well above them. Unfortunately, the Grosbeak’s speed and altitude made it nearly impossible for the pirates to gain any advantage on the passing ships.

  Finally, Jay could stand the temptation no longer and abruptly ordered a change in course. “Crossbill! Snipe!” he called. “Prepare the crew to kedge. We’re heading east to chase some ships for a spell.”

  Kedging was an exhausting task. Each of the crew had to don a kedging harness, which was attached to the gunwales of the ship. The kedgers would then fly with all their might, pulling the ship through the sky and hoping to stumble upon an airstream. If there was no wind to be found, then kedging was again employed to “hammock” the ship in the trees below, where they would wait for a decent wind. Hammocking involved bringing the ship to a safe location between strong trees and tying it off, a maneuver that was tricky and dangerous. A miscalculation could end in shipwreck. Blue Jay had been forced to hammock his ship the night before in a part of the forest that happened to be inhabited by a very large horned owl who seemed to take great pleasure in harassing the pirates throughout the night. The silent devil tried to attack any bird who moved on the open deck, forcing the entire crew, including Gabriel, to squeeze together belowdecks as far away from any opening as possible since the owl could easily grab a pirate through a hatch or porthole. It was an experience that none of the crew was eager to repeat, especially Jay.

  “Just a bit of a detour,” Jay said to encourage the kedgers. “If we raise the ship to the air current above, we’ll chase down a couple of ships and be in Oak’s Eye for the weekend.” The crew was
uninspired by their captain’s words. Exhausted from the night before, they pulled the ship in jerks prompted by Snipe’s commands. “Heave away, mates! We’re almost there! Heeeeave!”

  Finally they reached what they thought was the western airstream. The sails filled, and the ship began to move forward at a considerable speed. The exhausted crew removed their kedging harnesses, but the airstream turned out to be nothing more than a sustained gust. The ship made progress, then lost wind completely and began to drop rapidly from the sky.

  “Ye fickle witch!” Jay screamed, swinging his sword at the sky. “Fickle, fickle witch!”

  Urgently, Crossbill asked if he should order the crew to hammock the ship.

  “Aye, blast it!” Jay was in a full rage now and continued to curse and stab at the sky.

  “Prepare to hammock!” Crossbill called from his perch.

  “Get those kedging harnesses back on!” shouted Snipe. “Step smartly now!”

  The frightened crew moved as quickly as they could, but the ship’s descent was too rapid. By the time some of the crew had donned their kedging harnesses, the ship’s hull was scraping the treetops. It was a terrifying sound, like giant claws ripping at the belly of the ship. As she strapped on her harness, Junco looked over toward Gabriel. Unable to help with the kedging, the poor goose was standing alone, looking completely helpless and terrified. The sight of Gabriel filled Junco’s heart with sadness as she realized for the first time that perhaps she had been selfish in keeping the goose on board.

  “Just hang on, Gabriel!” Junco called to him.

  There was a sudden CRACK as a sharp branch pushed through the hull, and the Grosbeak listed violently to the port side, throwing the crew against the railing and over the edge, still attached to their kedging lines. There was general mayhem as the pirates scrambled over one another to get back in position. Junco untangled herself from Blackcap’s line and glanced over toward Gabriel.

  “HEAVE AWAY!” barked Snipe over the desperate cries of the crew.

  Junco glanced at the spot where Gabriel had stood moments ago. The goose was gone!

  “GABRIEL!” shouted Junco. “He’s fallen!”

  Snipe shouted, “Heave away!” and the kedgers flew skyward with all their might, but even without the weight of the goose, they were barely able to lift the ship above the branches.

  “GABRIEL!” Junco cried, but could not be heard over the din.

  Though he had not witnessed the goose’s fall, Blue Jay could see Junco’s distress and realized that Gabriel had been lost.

  The kedgers screamed as they strained at their lines.

  “That’s it, mates!” Crossbill encouraged. “It’s working!”

  “What is that cursed bird doing?” roared Snipe, pointing toward Junco, who stood motionless on deck. “JUNCO! HEAVE! DAMN YOU!”

  Junco did not so much as look up. Instead she defiantly unbuckled her harness, threw it on deck, and flew from the ship.

  “DESERTER!” yelled Snipe. “I swear I’ll hang you myself when I catch you!”

  The ship had lifted above the trees, and the sails briefly filled but then fell limp, as they were nowhere near the airstream.

  Once again the air had defeated them, and Jay turned to Crossbill and said with a simmering rage, “There is no wind here. Let’s find a place to hammock before these birds die from exhaustion!”

  The two pirates quickly scanned the dense canopy of pine below them, desperately searching for an opening where they could suspend the ship. The light was beginning to fade, and the forest appeared to be a solid mass of blue-green with no openings in sight. Then Crossbill pointed to the west. “There, sir! Dead ahead,” he said ominously. “Black Point!” It appeared as a sharp black hole cut out of an undulating sea of trees.

  “Black Point,” Jay repeated. “Cryee!” Jay searched quickly for another option, and seeing none he shook his head. “Tell Snipe to bring her down. We have no choice but to hammock there.”

  “But sir, the crows!” Crossbill said warily.

  “We have no choice, Bill!” said Jay irritably. “There is no wind. Now go! Quickly, before it’s too late.”

  Hammocking was never a simple matter and was ideally attempted with a strong, well-rested crew. Despite promptings from Snipe, Crossbill, and Jay, the ship began to fall.

  “HEAVE, MATES! HEEEAVE!”

  The kedgers strained at their lines, trying desperately to regain control of the ship.

  “HEEEEAVE!”

  Kedgers began to drop from the sky. Some hung unconscious at the end of their lines. Others cut their own lines and deserted their posts.

  “HEEEEAVE!”

  Suddenly, the world was filled with the deafening sound of branches and yardarms cracking and by the terrified cries of shipmates as the ship crashed. When the ship finally came to rest in the limbs of a giant pine deep within the canopy of the forest, deadly quiet followed for a few moments before the groans of the wounded could be heard.

  The Grosbeak was wrecked, its sails, rigging, and part of a yardarm drooping from the pine branches. Many of the crew lay strewn about the deck, stunned or knocked senseless. Others, still attached to their kedging lines, swung helplessly from the rigging. Blue Jay flew around the ship, assessing the damage and providing encouragement. “Don’t fret, mates. We’ll have you mended in a moment!” In a flurry, he gathered on deck what able crew members were left and, with the help of Crossbill and Snipe, dispatched them to do a head count. “Come on, now. The light is wasting. We have no time to lose.”

  Finally, Snipe informed the captain that there were nine dead, twenty-one injured, and seven unaccounted for, including Gabriel and “the deserter” Junco.

  “Sticky pitch! Snipe, put together a search party. I want to find as many of the lost as we can before nightfall!”

  “Aye, sir!” said Snipe.

  “And, Snipe?” said Jay.

  “Sir?”

  “No matter what has happened to him, I want Gabriel to be found.”

  Snipe bristled at this. “Sir, if I may say, I find it very unlikely that the goose survived the fall. What is more, we’ve traveled a considerable distance from the point at which we lost him. It will take hours. . . .”

  “Cryee, Snipe!” said Jay. “If he’s alive, then we will rescue him. If we don’t, then it is unlikely he or we will survive the predators in the forest tonight. I want him found! Am I understood?”

  “Aye, sir!” said the quartermaster obediently.

  “And, Snipe?” said Jay.

  “Yes, Captain?”

  “I expect that you will find that Junco is with Gabriel,” said Jay. “I realize that she deserted the ship, but I want you to leave her punishment to me.”

  Snipe nodded without a word and proceeded to organize a search party.

  “Crossbill?” called Jay.

  “Aye, sir?”

  “Have Creeper and a few of the riggers prepare funeral nests for the dead,” said Jay. “I want to lay them to rest properly.”

  “Aye, sir!”

  Jay scanned the trees warily for any sign of crows. He spied two wood thrushes perched timidly in a nearby tree and called to them. “Ho there! Can you give us help here? I have wounded in need of a physician.”

  The thrushes did not respond. “I said we need a —”

  A loud, sharp “CAW!” came from some nearby trees, and the thrushes quickly disappeared. All activity stopped on board as the crew’s attention was fixed on the forest around them.

  “Crows!” growled Snipe.

  “Can you see them?” whispered Crossbill.

  Jay had sharp eyes, but neither he nor the other pirates could see the crows. Then came another “CAW,” still invisible but closer than the first.

  In a hushed but determined voice, Jay said to Crossbill and Snipe, “Quietly instruct the crew to go below and arm themselves, then await my order!”

  “CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW!” Suddenly the entire forest filled with the raucous sound as a mo
b of crows settled into the trees surrounding the Grosbeak.

  Gabriel lay on the forest floor, where he had managed to bury himself deep in a pile of leaves and pine needles after falling from the faltering Grosbeak. He had watched as the ship limped away through the sky, deaf to his cries of distress, and he was unable to take wing and fly after them. He was alone in the gathering darkness of a strange forest. Trees rose, like tall black columns, into a greater darkness above. His body was cracked, bruised, and bloodied. Gabriel knew from the pirates’ stories that there were mammals in the forest who would be on the prowl for an easy meal such as himself. He could already hear their growls and screams echo through the forest. Only the scent of pine disguised him from predators. He harbored a horrible fear that he would never make it through the night. He shuddered, closed his eyes, and sobbed. Eventually he fell into an exhausted, fitful sleep.

  Deep inside his makeshift nest, Gabriel was startled awake in the middle of the night and hissed in defense. Then he raised his head and listened intently. Out of the darkness came sounds, the echoes of indiscernible voices as well as cracks and groans.

  Finally, he made out a faint “Gaaabrielll! Gaaabrielll!” Then again, “Gaaabrielll!” That was Junco’s voice! Gabriel’s heart filled with hope, and he opened his beak to call out in answer. But a low, rattling growl from quite nearby sent a chill through him, and he clamped his mouth shut. He waited in silence.

  Finally, when he could stand it no longer, Gabriel poked his beak carefully through the pine needles to get a sense of what was out there. He could only make out vague forms of trees and underbrush. He was about to stick his neck out a bit farther for a better look when a large, snarling creature jumped onto the ground directly in front of his hiding place.

  Gabriel shuddered at the sight of the mammal. It was muscular, shaped like a mink or weasel, but four times as big, with long, dark fur, sharp claws, and glowing red eyes. It was a fisher cat, one of the most vicious hunters in the forest, a merciless predator that pounced on and killed prey with the speed of a hawk. Fishers would attack and consume most anything, even animals bigger than themselves, but they were particularly fond of birds.