by Jamie Davis
“I’m curious why you’d settle for Timron when the other heir is within your grasp?” Crandall asked her.
“I’m sorry, what other heir?” Cari replied.
“The girl Jake Holley held onto after he sunk the ship carrying the crown prince and his family. She’s the granddaughter of the prince, great-granddaughter of the Empress herself. If I understand the rules of succession, she has precedence over Timron. You might say she’s a lost princess herself,” Crandall finished with a laugh at the irony of the situation.
Cari stared at the raider leader for many long seconds, trying to make sense of what he just told her.
“Captain,” Stefan said. “If what he says is true—”
“Quiet, Stefan,” Cari ordered. “Crandall, how many people know what you just told me? Who else knows of this girl’s existence?”
“The only people who knew about her were myself and captains Holley and Thorne. You killed both of them, so I suppose it is limited to only those present in this room right now. Why?”
“I overheard someone tell the Duke of Charon of suspicions a survivor from that shipwreck existed. I didn’t think anything of it until now.”
“You do know where the girl is, don’t you?” Crandall asked. “You act as if you didn’t know who she was.”
“I know where she is, and you’re correct. I was not aware of who she was. I just assumed she was the child of one of the Bloodletter’s crew or a random captive they kept on board for their amusements. The girl herself wouldn’t speak, and we couldn’t even figure out her name. We just called her ‘Jane’ for lack of a better name.”
“She is the Crown Princess Jacinda, though I believe her family called her Jaycee, so Jane isn’t that far off. If the Duke does suspect she is still alive, then he’ll know you have her or at least that you know where she is. He knew Captain Holley was the one who took the mission to ambush the Crown Prince’s vessel during its secret trip around the coast to the Western Sea.”
“If that’s the case, Cari,” Rodrigo said, forgetting formality and calling her by her first name, “We have to leave immediately.”
Cari was glad he didn’t say more, especially where they had to go. It was better to keep the girl’s location to themselves. There were too many here on Cairn Island who might like to return things to the way they were and cozy up to the Duke to get in his good graces.
She pushed her chair back and stood up.
“I’m sorry to have to eat and run, Crandall, but I’m afraid this information has forced me to change my plans. I had hoped we could remain here and refit, and perhaps re-crew the Vengeance. We lost a lot of good people rescuing the hostages. It seems, however, that we will have to sail with the crew we have.”
Cari turned to her three companions. “Percy, return to the ship and notify Miss Doolan to wrap up any repairs she has started and prepare to sail on the morning tide. Stefan, you and Rodrigo go with him and hit all the taverns in the harbor and round up any members of our crew who may have gone ashore. We need them all back on the ship as quickly as possible.”
“Aye, ma’am,” the three said in concert. They rose and left the dining hall in a hurry, each off to see to their orders.
Cari was left alone with Captain Wheldon at the table.
“If it’s more crew you need, I think I can help with that.”
“I can’t take the chance of taking on anyone who isn’t reliable and trustworthy. Especially not considering what I’ve just discovered. Our mission is of utmost importance once again.”
“There are those I can personally vouch for. You return to your ship. I’ll have at least twenty new qualified recruits for your crew before you’re ready to sail on the morning tide.”
“That would be a huge help,” Cari said. She reached out to clasp wrists with the raider captain.
“If we’re to defeat the Duke, helping put the rightful heir on the throne will go a long way to set things right with the people of the western reaches of the Empire.”
“Agreed. I hope someday I get to return and partake of your hospitality again.”
“I’d like that a lot, Princess.”
“You’re not going to go on about that are you?”
“Let’s not pretend. At least not as long as it’s just the two of us, Cari. I’ve seen the Maelstrom Shoals and survived them, though I was the only one of my entire crew to float alive out the other side. I was young and foolish and thought I could prove myself as a captain if I made the passage. I was wrong. Because of that, my crew paid for it with their lives. I know it is impossible to take a ship through there and survive intact. Yet you did it. Only an epic hero of legend with powers beyond those of an ordinary sailor could have done that. You may pretend you’re not her, but I know the truth.”
Cari’s shoulder’s sagged. She hated owning up to the legend that followed her wherever she went.
“Don’t worry, Cari. Your secret’s safe with me. Others may wonder about who you really are, but most will not be sure. I know there are many bards and balladeers who sing of your return after saving Prince Timron from assassins’ blades. You will not be able to keep the secret forever.”
“I’d like to hold onto it for a little bit longer.”
“As I said, the secret is safe with me. Promise me one thing, though.”
“I’ll try if I am able.”
“If you get the chance to return, do me the honor of staying here once again and tell me more of your exploits in person. I suspect you will have many great tales to tell after you leave here.”
“If I return to Cairn Island, I will happily take you up on your offer.”
“Good. Then Godspeed and safe journey to you, Cari.”
Cari nodded in reply and left the old captain with the remainder of his meal. Her mind swirled with a myriad of plans and ideas. There was so much she had to do, beginning with retrieving young Jane from her foster family in Tandon.
* * *
Quest accepted — retrieve the missing princess
Chapter 16
The sun peeked over the eastern horizon outside the Cairn Island harbor. The activity level aboard the Vengeance as the dawn lit the deck might best be labeled as frenzied.
Cari returned to the ship to find significant repairs underway. All the spars on the mainmast had been taken down so all the rigging and ratlines could be restrung. Helen had decided this was the most urgent thing to fix following the hasty emergency repairs after the passage through the Maelstrom Shoals.
“Don’t worry, ma’am,” Helen said from beside her. “The carpenter is hard at work below decks on the sprung timbers on the interior hull. A tar-soaked canvas patch has been pulled tight across the outside of the hull where the water pressure against it seals out the water around the damaged area. He assures me this will allow him to make everything almost as good as new.”
Cari gestured aloft where the crew was hoisting another spar up the mainmast to secure it in place in its proper position.
“What about them? Can we depart without a whole mast full of sails?”
“We have extra craftsmen and women from ashore who are all working with the crew to complete the work and put the ship back together.”
“I hope you’re right, Helen. Make sure the bosun is on top of them, so everything is done without cutting corners.”
“Aye, ma’am. Mr. Dawkins has been up with the repair teams all night. He checked in with me a short time ago and seemed pleased with the quality of work.”
A commotion from the dock behind her turned Cari around. A group of several dozen sailors, men, and women had arrived on the pier at the base of the gangplank. Stefan stood there talking with someone while blocking the group’s approach.
Cari walked down the gangplank and saw former hostage Jackie Hitchcock and her husband, the captain who escorted them into the harbor the day before. They saw Cari approaching and stopped talking with Stefan to await her arrival.
“What seems to be the problem, Mr. Clari
dge?”
“All these raiders claim to be here to enlist in the crew, Captain.
Captain Hitchcock hooked a thumb over his shoulder at the assembled sailors behind him.
“Captain Dix, I received word from Crandall Wheldon you needed a reliable crew you could trust. Every one of these twenty-seven sailors is hand-picked by my wife and me. They all have family members who were rescued by you and your crew, and they all volunteered to join you for as long as you need them.”
Twenty-seven! Cari thought. That was more than she’d hoped for. That would almost return the ship’s complement to full strength.
She grinned and nodded at the raider captain and his wife. “Thank you both. They’ll be a big help filling out the holes in the crew. Lieutenant Claridge, see to getting these people settled and their gear stowed. Once that’s done, get them to work. The First Mate and Mr. Dawkins can help you determine where they’re most needed. I still want to sail on the morning tide.”
Captain Hitchcock peered out over the harbor at the sun cresting the horizon. “Judging by the sun, you don’t have much time. Why don’t you wait until the evening tide and make sure your crew and the shore parties complete the most urgent repairs?”
“I can’t explain why, but I’ve discovered something that is very time-sensitive. I need to be in Tandon as soon as possible.”
“You know best, Captain,” the raider replied. “I hope whatever is so urgent for you works out.”
Jackie came forward and gave Cari a big hug. “Thank you again for rescuing us. I’m glad the council of captains saw their way to let you go free. Now they can start working on repairing our trade routes.”
“It was a closer vote than I would have liked, Jackie.”
“Which is why it is probably best you leave sooner than later,” the woman replied. “My husband wouldn’t say it, but there will be those who’d like to have a go at killing you just because they could say they got the best of the Dread Raider Cari.”
“I’ve had a target on my back before. I’m sure it won’t be any different now.” The last of the new recruits headed up the gangplank. Cari smiled. “I am glad to have new crew members you can both vouch for. I worried about how reliable any sailors I picked up here would be.”
“They will do their work and follow orders,” Captain Hitchcock replied. “As we said, they each feel as if they owe you a personal debt. You’ll be pleased with them, I’m sure.”
“Thank you again,” Cari said. She clasped wrists with the captain and hugged Jackie again then turned and headed back up the gangplank to board the Vengeance.
A shouted voice drew her attention from the far side of the ship.
“Careful hauling on that rope, you fools!” the bosun, Mr. Dawkins bellowed. “We have to peel that patch off slowly to make sure the new timbers and seals will hold.”
The cluster of sailors hauling on the lines that extended over the side slowed their movements and settled into a slower pace.
The bosun called down into the open hatch of the hold. “We’re pulling the patch. How’s it look on your end?”
A muffled reply came from below. Cari couldn’t quite make it out. It must have been a satisfactory answer because Mr. Dawkins waved his hands in a circular motion at the crew on the ropes and they pulled on the lines faster.
Within a few moments, the crew members pulled a tar-blackened square of canvas twenty feet across over the side. It dripped seawater all over the deck, and it was smeared with algae and sea scum from the hull.
The bosun listened at the hatch again and smiled. He caught her looking his way and nodded. “The new patch is holding, ma’am. I’m going aloft now to check on the new rigging. If it passes inspection, I think we will be ready to get underway within the hour. Any further repairs we can complete while at sea.”
“Excellent news, Mr. Dawkins. Pass along my regards to the carpenter and his mates for their hard work. I didn’t think he’d be able to complete the necessary repairs in time.”
“Aye, ma’am.” The bosun raised a hand to his forehead in a brief salute and turned to climb up the rigging to the upper portions of the mainmast where the new spars were being set.
Cari sensed the hustle and bustle of all the activity settle down into more familiar routines. Rodrigo called out to the crew who were loading the last of the supplies from the dock, rolling the enormous casks of fresh water up and onto the deck to be lowered into the hold.
She looked out over the harbor and saw the vector lines of the tides superimposed on the surface of the water. The tide had started to go out. It was time for them to get underway. Anything else that needed doing would have to be done at sea. She wasn’t going to wait any longer. A missing princess waited for Cari to bring her home.
* * *
———
* * *
“Sail, ho! Off the starboard bow.”
Cari’s head snapped around as the lookout’s voice carried down to the quarterdeck. She could see nothing over the horizon, but the lookout atop the main mast in the crow’s nest would have the advantage until the other ship drew closer.
She turned to order Katie at the helm to turn to port and try to move away from the oncoming ship. She didn’t want to deal with any interruptions to their mission. Cari was about to issue the order to come about when another shout from the crow’s nest drifted down to her.
“Second sail to port.” The same lookout called out the new warning.
Cari grabbed the speaking trumpet from where it hung by the rail, holding the amplification device up to her mouth. She recognized the young man in the crow’s nest as one of the new crew members from Cairn Island. “Can you identify them, Jordan?”
The lookout peered through his spyglass, first to starboard, then swinging around to port.
“Triangular sail pattern, ma’am. I think they’re Sultanate navy.”
Cari couldn’t see the two ships yet, but she had to assume if her lookout could see them, their lookouts had spotted the Vengeance as well. She activated her navigational skill and scanned the lines and arrows superimposed over the sea and sky around the ship.
She shook her head. They had the advantage on her. There was no way to avoid contact with at least one of them.
“Damn,” Cari muttered under her breath. They were only a day out of Tandon. Those ships shouldn’t be this far north. Clearly, the Sultanate captains had their orders to track her down at all costs. She turned and called to Percy. “Mr. McShea, deliver my apologies to the first mate and bosun at interrupting their rest. Tell them we’re likely to encounter two Sultanate ships within the next few hours and we’re going to general quarters.”
“Aye, ma’am. Right away.”
Percy ran off to wake the two officers. Cari had hoped to let them sleep longer. They’d worked around the clock with the repair crews to complete refitting the ship while they were underway. The Vengeance was finally back in good order, and they were about to run her back into battle.
“Don’t worry, Cari,” Rodrigo whispered beside her. “We’re ready for action again.”
The lieutenant had been on the quarterdeck assuming the role of the first mate while Helen got some much-needed sleep.
“I’d hoped the Sultanate navy had given up on searching for us after we ran through the Maelstrom Shoals. They should have assumed we were killed in the passage.”
“I wouldn’t bet against the great “Dread Raider Cari,” Rodrigo replied, his face breaking into a big grin.
“Yeah, well it’s going to be two against one again, and half the crew is untested.”
Rodrigo shook his head. “They’re all accomplished sailors and came with high recommendations from Captain Hitchcock and his wife. I’ve seen them working, and they work as hard or maybe even harder than the rest of the crew. I think a lot of them want to prove their worth to the captain who freed their families from captivity. They’ll hold up under pressure. I promise.”
“I hope you’re right, Rod. Bring us t
o general quarters and then send someone to wake up your counterpart. I suspect we’re going to need Stefan’s gunnery crews before long. I know he’ll want to run a few more drills while we head into contact.”
“Aye, ma’am.” Rodrigo headed down to the main deck and raised his voice, calling out to the bosun’s mate. “Sound general quarters. Prepare for action.”
Cari listened as the orders passed throughout lower decks of the ship, men, and women scrambling to clear the deck of any loose items while others climbed aloft to man the sails. She scanned the wind and waves once more to judge the navigational options.
“Katie, bring us to starboard and set a heading of North by Northeast. We’ll take on that ship first and make the second one chase us down. Number two will have the advantage to catch us eventually but, with luck, we’ll have dealt with the first one before that happens.”
“North by Northwest, aye, ma’am,” the helmsman said as she spun the wheel and brought the Vengeance onto its new heading.
Cari braced her feet as the ship encountered a few rolling swells coming about. They settled onto the new course, and soon the ship cut through the waves heading directly at the first Sultanate navy vessel.
* * *
Quest accepted — Sink the first Sultanate ship.
Chapter 17
“Fire,” Cari ordered.
The starboard broadside cannons all spat fire and smoke outward from the side of the Vengeance, the heavy cannonballs propelled out at the larger Sultanate navy ship.
Stefan pumped his fist in triumph as most of the cannonballs struck home, blasting splinters from the hull of the other ship. At least one of the other ship’s cannons was unseated from its carriage. The bronze barrel flipped backward through the air to crash into a cluster of Sultanate marines, standing ready to board the Vengeance if they could close with their prey. The soldiers scattered but several of them were injured or dead from the impact of the heavy gun barrel.