“And just where do you think we ought to go?”
“The Barbary Coast,” Fitz said quietly.
Quinn stared at him. “Sayyida would never allow that. That is her domain.”
Fitz shrugged. “Then you oughtta kiss and make up because there’s a lotta booty to be had along the waterway and we’d be free from issues involving queens or monarchs who hate us.”
Quinn looked to Tavish, who nodded. “I think we could be verra successful there if she let us live.”
“Oh, she’ll let us live, but at what cost?”
“Are ya talkin’ about gold or yer heart?”
“Either are too much to pay merely to keep her men off our backs.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. She can be as reasonable as the next captain, lad. It’s been a long time since she saved us both. Maybe she will be happy to see you.”
“Happy to see me? Tavish, we stole her ship, made her lose face with her crew, and put her in a bind when she finally found us. She risked everything to keep us alive. I don’t think Sayyida will ever want to see my face again.”
“Fitz rose and Tavish followed. “Ya need not make enna decisions about it right now, lad, but when we leave this New World, we’re gonna have to find someplace to light and call home.”
“And Ireland isn’t it?”
The two men shook their heads.
“We doona think so,” Tavish said. “It’s time to acknowledge the cold truth, Callaghan: Elizabeth is winnin’. We’ll leave ya to it, lad. Good night.”
When they returned to the deck, Quinn closed the door and stood over the bed, looking down at Gallagher.
As much as she hated to admit it, they were right. Ireland would eventually fall, leaving them where? As outcasts and enemies of the crown? Was it a fruitless war they were waging, trying to stay one step ahead of Queen Elizabeth’s men? And what of Gallagher? As long as Robert lived, Quinn would forever be looking over her shoulder in fear he would snatch Gallagher away from her.
Turning to look at the map, Quinn heaved a loud sigh.
It was too early to make any decisions about where to go, but she was pretty certain of one thing:
She would have to return to Ireland for one last time… to kill Fiona’s rat bastard husband so she could be free of him once and for all.
“Land ho!” Came Logan’s booming voice from the crow’s nest.
Everyone rushed to the deck to get that first sight of land in almost two months.
Pulling out her telescope, Quinn peered through it.
Sure enough, there was the coastline of the New world, or someone’s world, a good hour away.
“I don’t mind sayin’ now, lad, bet if I had to spend two more days on this ship, I might have to fall on my sword to end it all!”
“Well, dear friend, no need for such measures. Soon, we will be at Roanoke Colony, where we can set foot on the dirt of a New World!”
Tavish grinned widely. “I might fall on my knees and run my hands through this new dirt. This has been the longest sail ever. If I have to spend another week on this ship.”
Quinn smiled. She hadn’t been at all prepared for what two months at sea looked like, and already, she was dreading the return trip.
“You earned yer sea legs on this one, lad, though the glass who came with us almost didna make it.”
That proved to be truly an understatement. Laing had nearly leapt overboard one morning because he could not stand to feel the ship’s movement any longer. They’d had to restrain him until he returned to his senses.
Freitas sent a scroll flying to the ship on an arrow. One of the crew brought it to Quinn. “Captain. Freitas sent a note!
Quinn opening the scroll. The note read in very poor English: Thank you. We sail north. Good luck and God bless.
Quinn went to the side of the ship and waved to Freitas, who was grinning and waving back.
“You saved their lives,” Kaylish said softly. “Let’s hope they do something amazing with them.”
Returning to the fore deck, Quinn looked at the land on the horizon. “It’s awfully beautiful,” she said, just as Maggie, Kaylish, and Gallagher joined them. “So much prettier than what I expected.” Quinn gazed at the green island through her telescope.
“I can’t wait!” Gallagher said, peering through the bars of the railing.
“Amen to that,” Maggie said. “It appears the Portuguese won’t be comin’ with us.”
Quinn quickly wheeled around, her telescope facing aft. “They’re going west. I can’t imagine why.”
“Maybe that’s where they were supposed to drop their living cargo,” Kaylish said. “They were waving as they turned away, but we’ve all been up here, longing to see land.”
Quinn was only slightly disappointed. The thought of her men having to mingle with or support the slavery any more than they already had made her uncomfortable. She had managed to save the ship and the crew without her men feeling the pinch of it.
The cook was a magician when it came to extending rations. They still had enough food for another couple of weeks.
Of course, the Portuguese really helped by catching a great deal of fish. Four times during the trip, the Portuguese sent over fish they used to make a strew.
“Captain, it would appear you have successfully brought us across the world to a magical place many seek but few find,” Kaylish said, sliding her hand into Quinn’s for a quick squeeze. “Truly a remarkable adventure.”
“What’s yer plan once we arrive, lad?”
“I think that will depend on the resources of the colony and how well we fit in with them. I am not averse to further exploration if it means returning with booty we can sell, but we won’t be heading back for a bit. We need a break from the sea.”
“I think the crew would support that,” Fitz said from behind her. “It would surely keep our morale up for the journey home if they knew their pockets would be full when we get there… or… wherever.”
Quinn nodded. “First things first. We find Lady Killigrew’s sister and deliver the box. Perhaps she can aid us in our decision of what to fill our hold with.”
“Sounds good,” Fitz said. “Should I take the wheel now, Captain?”
“Aye. I’d like to be up here when we pull into Roanoke Island.”
One by one, everyone returned to their duties of preparing the ship for land, except for Kaylish.
“Can I have a word?”
Quinn nodded as she stood at the railing. “Aye.”
“I do not know how much you know of this place, but I believe it highly advisable for you and Gallagher to cut your hair.”
Quinn turned to her, her hand reaching for her own hair. It had grown below her shoulders during the transit, and these days, she only wore it in a ponytail. “Can I ask why?”
“When M’lady’s last commission vessel returned, I overheard the men discussing the natives of this land. They said they…they take women and children they find… pleasing. I do not know if they tell lies, I believe it best to make Gallagher appear to be a boy.”
A slight smile curled Quinn’s lips. “That is a very different idea than you had months ago.”
“This is about her protection here, Callaghan. She can make whatever choice she wishes to make about herself when she is older. Our job is to make sure she gets older.”
“You make a very solid argument, Kaylish, and I would appreciate it if you would cut both of our hair immediately.”
Kaylish nodded and produced a pair of scissors from her frock.
This made Quinn chuckle. “And do I cut yours?”
“No. Maggie will be protected by her husband, and I… well, I have learned a great deal about archery from your men these past few months, and I believe I can protect myself.”
This surprised Quinn. She had only seen Kaylish using a bow twice. She had no idea she’d actually become good with it. “Then please, cut my hair shoulder-length and then you can see to Gallagher’s.”
“Out he
re?”
“Aye. I must be present and seen when we dock as it is clear I am the only one negotiating enna thing with these colonists.” Facing the water, Quinn ran her hands over her hair. “Touching the shoulder is fine.”
She was prepared to have her hair cut. What she hadn’t anticipated was the chill that went down her spine when Kaylish ran her fingers across the back of Quinn’s neck.
“It’s gotten so long.”
“Aye. Sun and sea air—the elixir of the goddesses.”
Kaylish’s gentle fingers caressed Quinn’s hair, softly gathering it and releasing it. “You have beautiful hair. I imagine it was quite a sight when you were… younger.”
“It was.”
“It will look healthier when I cut it. You’ll see.”
Closing her eyes, Quinn waited to hear the snipping sound of the scissors.
As pieces of her hair fell to the ground, she thought about Evan and how she loved to run her fingers through Quinn’s long hair.
Evan.
The thought of her seemed to lessen the further and further away they sailed from Ireland. Her broken heart had time to mend itself as she worked tirelessly to keep her crew alive.
Eleven storms, fourteen straight days of rain, seventeen thunderstorms, five leaks, twelve mast repairs, and staving off boredom had exhausted them all—but now with land in sight, the waning energy picked up, the excitement palpable.
“There you go. Let me see.” Kaylish walked around to stand in front of Quinn. “Oh my. Yes. It shows off the strength of your jawline.” She reached out and brushed a stray hair from Quinn’s cheek. “You are a gorgeous creature, Captain Callaghan, and I’m certain some lucky colonist will fall madly in love with you.”
Quinn felt her cheeks burn. “Love isn’t on my agenda, Kaylish, but it is kind of you to think so.”
“I’ll go down and let in Gallagher. She is so excited and anxious to see land, you will need to give her some time to run amok.”
“Oh, there will be plenty of time to run amok, Kaylish. Oh, and thank you for cutting my—our hair. It would not do for either of us to be carted away by these natives you’ve been reading about.”
Kaylish smiled. “My pleasure.”
Alone on the deck, Quinn felt a myriad of emotions flood through her as the island got closer and closer.
“So you’re this New World everra one is talkin’ about, eh? Well, you’re prettier than I expected, to be sure. Beautiful, actually.”
And it was.
The trees seemed like the straightest pine trees she’d’ ever seen. The green was a muted darker green than the green of Ireland. It was still far more beautiful than she anticipated, but also very rugged…one would even say wild.
As the ship pulled into Shallowbag Bay, the crew remained incredibly quiet. It was quiet. Too quiet.
Where were the colonists?
Surely they’d seen the ship entering the bay. Wouldn’t they come greet it? At least one of them?
“Captain?” It was Fitz. “Where are the people?”
“I was just wondering that myself.” Quinn glanced around deck at a crew anxious to get off, but now wary of what they didn’t see.
“Captain?”
“Do ya think they moved or somethin’?”
“I suppose we’ll find out. They should be curious, at least, right?”
“Aye, but I’ve not seen a single person since we pulled into the bay.”
“Neither have I.” Someone grumbled.
Quinn surveyed the area as they pulled deeper into the bay. Something was definitely not right. “Prepare the crew for battle,” she ordered.
“Sir?”
“Battle, Fitz!” Quinn barked. “I want every man on board prepared to fight. Move Maggie, Kaylish, and Gallagher to the galley.” Quinn turned to him. “Now.”
Fitz scooted away and down the steps.
Quinn tucked her telescope back into her vest. Something was definitely off about this. The people should have been flocking to the dock. Who knew how long it had been since the colonists had seen a ship? Surely they thought this ship brought provisions. This was highly unusual.
“Armin’ the men is a wise call, lad.” Tavish stood next to Quinn, his hands clasped behind his back. “Not one person on the dock, near the bay, or enna where as far as the eye can see.”
“Ambush?”
“I thought that earlier, but now, I am not so sure. No smoke from chimney or fire, No sound of sawing, hatchets, or hammers. No children laughing. Nothin’.”
“I can’t just turn us around, Tavish. The men need land. We need provisions.”
“From where we stand, lad, those provisions are gonna have to be hunted or traded, and unless the glass can bring down whatever animals they eat here, trade is all we’ve got.”
“We have nothing to trade with, Tavish.”
“Ya doona ken what these folks might need. Doona sell us short yet.”
When the crew was assembled on the deck, Quinn looked them over. Two months at sea had made them leaner, fitter. There was an intensity in their eyes she hadn’t seen in a long while.
“We are preparing to enter a foreign land—no—an almost foreign land. We’ve all heard the tales of the natives who live here, but until we know better ourselves, those are just that: tales.”
The men rocked back and forth, but no one said a word.
“Where the colonists are is enna one’s guess, fellas,” Tavish announced. “We are leavin’ this ship prepared to defend it, prepared to attack enna aggressor, and ready for ennathing that jumps out at us. This island is to be treated like enna ship we’ve boarded for plunder. It is unknown, dangerous, and foreign to us. When in doubt, kill and be safe. Do not break ranks, do not chase enna one into the forests. The native people knows these parts. We do not. Stay in formation. Stay tight. Stay alert. Enna questions?”
Not one.
“Good. We’re leaving three dozen men on board. If the Emerald is attacked, Logan will pull further out into the bay. We must protect ourselves at all costs. Firsts, are you ready?”
“Aye, Captain,” Derry said. Quinn had put Derry in charge of the firsts after a deckhand named Seaweed died from some sort of internal disease en route to the New World.
Quinn turned to Kaylish. “I want you to stay here.”
Kaylish tucked the box under her arm and shook her head. “If it is all the same to you, Captain, I wish to deliver this box one way or the other.”
Quinn opened her mouth to order her to stay, then thought better of it. “Fine. Stay near Tavish.”
When the plank lowered, the Firsts lumbered off, swords at the ready, followed by the seconds, who were followed by their bowmen.
“Captain?”
Quinn turned to face Jacob. “You should not be up here.”
“Arracht wishes to join you.”
Quinn shook her head. “I would prefer he stay and protect all of you. I need to know there’s someone who will rush enna one who comes on board.”
Jacob nodded. “Does he have permission to do so, Captain?”
Quinn grinned. “That he does, Jacob, and then some. You tell him to crush the skull of enna man who does not belong on this ship,”
After securing the rest of the ship and making sure her bowmen were at the ready, Quinn left the ship with Tavish on one side of her and Fitz on the other.
The silence of the docks was eerie, and Quinn felt the hackles on her neck stand up.
As she understood it from Lady Killigrew, the colony was about fifteen minutes from the bay, and it appeared to be completely empty of any human life.
Completely.
“At this point, fellas, we are looking for enna living being. Stay together in groups of six and let’s see what the bloody hell is going on.”
There were wooden cottages that had been dismantled, a small center of ‘town’ if it could be called that. There were no smoldering fires, no evidence that there had been life here for quite some time.
“How many were there again?” Fitz asked.
“Including children, about one-twenty.”
“Captain?”
Quinn glanced over at Seanie, who was kneeling in a patch of greenery. This was where the land bound Galloglaighs were at their finest. “Aye?”
Seanie pointed to the tree. “Sassafras. We could turn a tidy profit from this tree in England.”
This made Quinn grin. “Excellent. Thank you, Seanie. We can turn our attention to that later. Derry?”
Derry had been digging around in the dirt with the toe of his boot. “Bones of someone.”
“One body? Two? Fifty?”
“Just one, sir. Other than that, we’ve found nothin’ worth ennathin’. If they left on their own, they took everra thin’ with them. And by everra thin’, I mean all of it. There’s not a seed, a cow, a plant, a plate, not one damn thing.”
“So they were taken or they left. Which was it?” Quinn asked.
“I doona see signs of a struggle enna where,” Tavish said.
Seanie shook his head. “No life been here awhile, Captain.”
“Wonder how long they’ve been gone.”
“By the dust on stuff left behind, I’d say not more than a month. Two at the most.”
“Captain? Over here!”
Quinn followed Laing’s voice to a fencepost where a single word, ‘croatoa,’ was carved.
“Croatoa?” Running her fingers over the carved word, Quinn stared at it a moment. “Is this a message?”
“Part of it is over here,” one of the crew said, pointing to a tree trunk that had ‘cro’ carved in it.
“Definitely a message,” Fitz replied. “If that’s the case, it could be either about who took them or where they went.”
Quinn turned to gaze at the empty colony. “So I guess the question is, do we try to find them or load back up and try to locate another colony?” She looked to Tavish.
Dead Man's Chest (The Plundered Chronicles Book 5) Page 11