We cleared the headland and immediately Valkyrie jumped forward and lay over so her starboard rail was underwater. I grabbed hold of the larboard rail to stop myself falling and screamed, “Let go the main,” just as Carmen shouted the same. The reefed mainsail shivered and flogged and Valkyrie righted again. “Bear off, Mr. Davys,” I instructed. “Find your safest course.”
I thought hardening up into the wind in this would be more dangerous than running free with it, but it would take experience and skill to stay ahead of the waves and keep them from swamping us. I recognized that Davys had more of both than I did.
“Well done, Captain.” I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Gaunt, face creased into a wide grin, whether from the excitement of the fight or the weather, I didn’t know.
“Thank you, Mr. Gaunt. Please stay with Mr. Davys and help him with the tiller.”
Keeping a course in this wind and sea was too much for one man alone. If Davys was thrown to the deck, Valkyrie would screw up into wind, then founder and sink once broadside-on to those waves.
Carmen joined me on the quarterdeck, her hand held out, and I grasped it, both of us grinning madly. Although a little extreme, Freyja’s arrival had pulled this crew together in a matter of minutes.
“He’ll know the colors now,” she shouted over the roar of wind and water. I repositioned myself so the spray hit my back before replying.
“Yes, and when he sees them again, we’ll be ready for him.”
She nodded. “I do not want to run from that skraeling again.”
“Nor me, next time we see him it’ll be on our terms,” I promised. “I’ve had just about enough of Edward Hornigold.” And I meant it. I’d run from Erik over a year ago, I’d run from Leo, and now I’d been forced to run from Hornigold and that galled me, this had to stop. No more running.
We both looked astern in the gathering gloom. As I’d hoped, Freyja hadn’t risked the open sea with that hole in her bows and had slunk back into the lee of St Vincent.
“No. No lights, Klara, not until we’re well away from here, just in case any of Hornigold’s friends are nearby,” I called. I wanted to keep Valkyrie invisible until we could be sure we were safe. She nodded and blew out the stern lantern.
I grabbed hold of Carmen as the stern rose on a wave and I slid forward, much to her amusement.
“Another half hour,” she suggested. “We should be safe enough on this course, the islands are further south, then we can bear north and heave-to until this calms down.”
I agreed.
Chapter 76
I had stayed up all night until I was sure Valkyrie was out of danger, and I’d been treated to a fabulous display at sunrise. The departing clouds had created a vista worthy of van Goyen himself, using a full palette of oranges, yellows and pinks.
The wind had dropped off with the dawn, and I’d slept the four-hour forenoon watch through. Carib life was back to normal: beating sun, steaming decks (at least they were not sticky yet), and uncomfortable, salty clothes. Even the supposedly dry clothes in the cabin had acquired a stiffening layer of salt, and the rigging looked like a washerwoman’s line as everybody took advantage of the casks brimming with fresh rainwater.
Valkyrie had ridden out the last vestiges of the storm well, and the crew looked and acted like a crew. Thanks to a Carib storm and Ed Hornigold, Valkyrie was a different vessel. Leo would be impressed.
Once the day’s work was done and I had a vague idea of where we were, I was presented with a steaming plateful of roast pork—Klara had decided we needed to replenish our strength and had butchered one of the pigs as soon as it had been safe to relight the galley hearth on the maindeck. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I started eating, and I didn’t want to stop. Coupled with pint after pint of cool fresh water to wash away the salt, it was a meal fit for Neptune himself.
Halfway through, Carmen joined me in the cabin with a heaped plateful of her own.
“What news?” I asked her.
“The usual chafing,” she replied. “And the forestay needs to be re-rove.” If that line between foremast and bow snapped, we would lose the foremast. “I’ve got Butler and Bess on that as a priority. The damage to the timber is only superficial, Mr. Gaunt can take his time. One of the gun truckles is damaged, which Andy can sort out, but there’s nothing to trouble Valkyrie unduly.”
“Very well,” I said, relieved.
“St Vincent is still in sight, although only just. We must have been blown a fair fetch south overnight, but we can get the fores’ls flying as soon as Butler and Bess are done with the stay, and we’ll soon leave it in our wake,” she continued. “The crew are full of blisters and bruises, but they’re used to that—there’s no serious injury.”
I nodded. I was tormented by aches and pains myself.
It was not good that the island was still in sight, I could only hope Freyja was busy making her own repairs, and that the St Vincentians would not be too accommodating to their visitors.
Carmen finished her meat and sat back, taking out her pipe and tobacco.
“What happened to your pipe?” I asked—it was much shorter than the last time I’d seen it. “Did you sit on it or something?”
“No.” She laughed in return. “The long stems don’t do so well in a blow—they don’t last long.”
I laughed along with her but wondered if it had really broken in the weather and fight, or had it broken when she lost the captain’s vote? I wasn’t going to risk our newfound camaraderie by pressing the matter though, and the laughter died away.
“I want to get the crew working better.” I turned to more serious matters. “I want them drilled on the guns and sailhandling, and I want Andy to find the best sharpshooters, too.”
“Ja, everybody knows their trade, but they’re not working well together yet. We were lucky yesterday, but I’ll admit they’re all keen enough now, it won’t be difficult to arrange. We should plan and rehearse some set maneuvers too—that’s how we were so successful with Awilda with such a small crew. We did the unexpected and took advantage of the confusion.”
“You certainly did!” I laughed. “That’s a good idea, Valkyrie’s strength is her handiness. You’re right, we should make the most of that, what do you propose?”
*
An hour later, we had a page of ideas and Gaunt stuck his head through the door. He nodded.
“Good to see you two lasses working together,” he commented. “The new forestay’s rove and holding if one of thee wants to come up on deck.”
“Very good, Mr. Gaunt, thank you.” I noticed his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes and realized he was still wary of my Danish quartermaster.
“Will you make a start with that, Carmen, while I get us underway? I want to be ready to attack the next likely prize we spot. I promised everyone gold!”
“They’ll be ready; they’re halfway there now, just choose your prize wisely.”
Chapter 77
GABRIELLA
2nd March 1687
Seven Leagues Southwest of Martinico
I have to admit, I was impressed with Carmen and Andy. The crew was working together well on both guns and sails, and we’d figured out a number of set maneuvers and signals. Baba, in particular, had proved to be a crack shot and would join Annika in the rigging with the muskets when we came to attack. Now all we needed was a suitable prize.
I leaned over the starboard forerail and stared out to sea, then down at Valkyrie’s stem cutting through the waves, and enjoyed the feel of spray on my face. The white water flung aside to swirl and torment in our wake mirrored exactly how I felt. Leo had done the same thing to me.
When Leo had turned on me, my heart had broken and so had, briefly, my spirit. I hadn’t seen Leo threaten me, I’d seen Erik, and I was not having it. I would not live with him again, not in any guise. I told myself that Leo would snap out of it and come chasing after me, and I couldn’t help but take a good look at the horizon in all directi
ons every time I came on deck, even climbing into the tops—just in case. But of course there was no Freedom, and I’d sit up there for hours at a time, legs and arms gripping the trunk of the mainmast with the wind screeching in my face, reminding me there were many more reasons to live than Leo, and after a while it worked. I convinced myself I didn’t care, that I didn’t need him or want him by my side. I was terrified of living with another Erik. I was starting to believe that I preferred being alone than risk being hurt again, than risk trusting a man I loved.
The baby was a reminder of all that, a reminder of all, of whom, I loved, but I didn’t know if it would ever meet its father. I couldn’t go back because I’d be showing him his behavior was acceptable, yet the further we sailed, the further away he was and, despite everything, that still mattered. Alone in my cabin, feeling the tiny movements inside me, in spite of my crew who were now my family, in spite of Klara, the one person who’d always been true to me, I knew I’d always be lonely if Leo wasn’t with me, and I was slowly admitting this to myself, if not to anyone else.
Even if, somehow, Leo found me and still wanted me, how could I trust him again? My heart and body ached for him, but at the same time I dreaded the thought of seeing him.
At the moment I could deny these feelings. I could wear my cloak of anger and pain, and insist I was better off without him, but what about when the baby came? What if it was a boy and had his eyes, his face? How could I love a child that reminded me of so much pain? Of betrayal and violence—his father?
Yet I’d never wanted to do this without him. If I was honest, I hadn’t wanted to become a mother at all.
“Damn you, Leo, damn you to Hell!” I turned back to the decks before the tears threatening my eyes overwhelmed me, just as a cry came from the tops.
“Sail oh, off the starboard bow, heading east. Two leagues off.”
My heart leaped. Freedom? Angry at the hope I felt, I studied the horizon with my glass and could just make out topsails. Big. A three-master then, but not Freedom.
“Bring in the tops’ls and harden up, Mr. Davys,” I called, walking aft. “Let’s take a closer look.”
*
The bell clanged again, a double ring. Two bells, a half hour past noon. The ship was a league and a half off now—we were catching, despite having had to tack—and I could just make out her topsails from the deck.
“Spanish built, you see that narrow stern?” Carmen observed from my left shoulder. “But she could be a prize, especially in these waters, and she’s not showing any colors.”
“Yes,” I agreed. “Or she could be exactly what she looks like: a rich Spanish merchantman running to the home country. Let’s find out.
“Break out the Burgundy Cross,” I shouted at Bess who was already at the mainmast having anticipated my order. “If she’s Spanish, she’ll heave-to for the Garda Costa. If not, she’ll run for one of the islands. Either way, we’ll have our answer,” I added to Carmen.
*
Four bells, an hour and a half into the afternoon watch, one league off, still running for the open sea.
“What do you think?” I asked Carmen and Gaunt, both of whom had joined me on the quarterdeck and all of us on tenterhooks.
“I must admit, I’d expected a reaction to the Spanish colors,” said Carmen, thoughtfully.
“Aye, she must be pirate—or freebooter,” Gaunt added.
“Umm,” I mused. “Well, I suppose if she’s pirate, she’ll turn and fight at some point. We’d best be ready.”
“And if she’s a smuggler?” Klara had joined us. “What would she do then?”
“Then she’ll run, lass,” Gaunt answered. “And hope some ill befalls us or that she can stay ahead until nightfall and give us the slip in the dark.”
*
Six bells. We were steadily overhauling her, and it was clear we would weather her in time. If she was going to do something, it was time to try it, but she carried on heading east. She didn’t have a choice. If she bore off, we would follow, get the weather gage and catch her. If she tacked, we’d tack after her and do it faster with our fore-and-aft sails. All she could do was coax as much speed as she could from her square sails and hope. We were faster and more weatherly, and, in Gaunt’s words, if no ill befell us such as a sudden squall or a rigging failure, we’d catch her to windward in another couple of hours, well before dark.
*
Eight bells, half an hour before the start of the first dog watch at four of the clock. Half a league off, just one and a half knots away.
*
One bell. One knot. I could see her clearly from the deck, but still had no idea who she was. She was of a similar size to Freedom, but with less sail. She carried square course and topsails on the main and foremasts, and a lateen-rigged spanker on the mizzen. She was fairly long and low in the water for a Spanish ship, and had a well-decorated stern with an overabundance of carvings and gilt, and still she flew no colors.
“Andy, ready the starboard guns,” I called to her, to be greeted by the black look I had expected. The guns had been readied hours ago, and I nodded my acknowledgement. She had her six-pounder as well as a couple of two-pound rail guns in the bows, two more swivel two-pounders on each rail and another five guns on each side of the gundeck.
“I hope she has six-pounders aboard her,” she said and I jumped. She rarely made any spontaneous comment, and I remembered she wanted all the guns to be of the same caliber.
“Let’s hope,” I replied. “You can have the pick of her guns once we’ve taken her.”
Another look. She wouldn’t have accepted anything less.
“It concerns me that we’ve seen no reaction,” Carmen said. “They must be planning something. It’s clear we’re faster, and we’ve been weathering her for hours. He must have something in mind.”
“Aye lass, but don’t bend theesen in knots over it. Thee keep thy mind on thy own plans, and don’t give him a chance to carry his out. Thee has to have faith in theesen and thy crew, we’ll deal with whatever that captain heaves our way.”
“Thank you, Mr. Gaunt.” I smiled. I trusted his advice and didn’t know how I’d have coped without him. I wished my father had been more like him.
“Annika, prepare your muskets. Baba, it’s nearly time to show us what you can do.” I raised my voice to address the whole crew.
“You’ve all worked hard the past few weeks, and it’s time to put it into practice. You can do this; we can do this. When you voted me your captain, I promised you I’d fill this boat with gold and coin—well this is where it starts! We’ll catch her in another hour and shortly after that we’ll be rich. This is why we’re out here. This is what we’ve been working for, practicing for. We are Valkyries, every single one of us! Now let’s introduce ourselves to that ship!”
This was the worst part of being captain for me, addressing the crew before a battle, desperately hoping I chose the right words, and that they wouldn’t be the last any of my crew would hear. But my words, thank goodness, were greeted with cheers. We’d been on the chase for over four hours and their blood was up. My Valkyries were ready for a fight.
Chapter 78
Three bells. Almost in range. Just a little closer, a little nearer.
“Fire warning shot!
“Break out the true colors!”
Andy’s big bow cannon fired at the same instant my flag broke out proudly at the masthead in place of the Burgundian Cross. I watched Andy reload and wondered that there was still no response from the Spanish ship.
“Harden up!” Carmen shouted.
“No!” I suddenly realized something. “Bear off, we’re doing exactly what he expects. He’s waiting for us to come to windward of him! Tell Andy to ready the larboard guns!”
Klara ran forward whilst Carmen protested, “We’ll lose the wind! We’ll struggle to get alongside!”
“We’ve enough way on and firepower in the bows. Don’t you see? He’s ready for us to lay his larboard side—that’s
why he’s not reacting. He’s waiting to get us in the way of his guns. If we move quickly, we’ll rake his starboard side before he knows what’s happening! It’s our best chance!”
“Andy wishes you to understand that all guns are ready to fire at all times when we sail into battle,” Klara reported very carefully, having rushed back from the bows, and I laughed, imagining how Andy would have actually phrased it.
“Bear off, Mr. Davys, bring her alongside to windward with as much speed as you can. Tell the gundeck to stand by to fire to larboard.” Klara ran off again. She would stay at the waist now to relay my orders forward.
“Bow! Target the rudder! Fire when ready! Keep firing!”
Butler and Bess manned both two-pounder bow chasers and fired at the Spanish stern, working hard to sponge and reload despite the new cant of the deck as Valkyrie swung downwind, whilst Andy supervised the gun crew on the bow six-pounder.
I trained my glass on the decks of the ship ahead. I couldn’t see much beyond the high stern, but as we came closer I grew aware of frenetic activity. I’d been right, they’d been waiting for us to windward.
“Fire as soon as they can be sure of a hit!” I shouted to Klara, and the most forward guns boomed, ejecting clouds of putrid smoke which blew aft to envelop the whole crew before clearing.
“Larboard rail, fire when ready!”
The Valkyrie Series: The First Fleet - (Books 1-3) Look Sharpe!, Ill Wind & Dead Reckoning: Caribbean Pirate Adventure Page 49