Rolling onto her back, panting, she could feel the burn and licked gingerly at the salty blood as her lip swelled. Leaning on her elbows to hold her back off the rough surface, she stared up at them as the circle of men tightened around her.
“It’s a woman!” one of them gasped.
“Aye,” a second agreed, his features masked by the shadow of the torches.
“Damned stowaway!” another snarled.
“Welcome aboard, missy,” a deeper voice chimed in as the man knelt over her and forced her down to lie flat, tearing further at her clothing as he sprawled across her. His eyes dark, he pulled at her skirt, ripping it as he worked the material up her body.
Striking him with the sides of her fists, Amicia struggled but had no hope of pushing him off. A second man dropped down, catching her arms and pinning them above her head. Looking up at him, his teeth were clenched as he growled at her struggle.
“Stop, please!” she pleaded, then screamed. Still squirming as cold air covered her naked legs, her vision blurred with tears of angry fear. “I beg you, please don’t do this,” she cried, certain they would all have a turn at her. Managing to pull her foot free, she kicked wildly, making contact with unseen body parts and earning another solid punch before she lost consciousness.
Dark Discovery
“Unhand her, you fools,” Piers Massheby’s voice boomed in disgust. Seizing his crewman by the shoulder, the burly first mate tossed him aside and glared down at the unconscious female. Recognizing her, he muttered, “For fuck’s sake,” under his breath.
“Find her things and bring them to my quarters,” he commanded, while he knelt beside her and inspected her wounds. Seeing the large gash on her temple and the blood smeared on her bared torso, he grimaced. Scooping her up, he tossed her over his shoulder as if she were one of the packs of mill and began the ascent to the deck above.
Careful not to drop his load, he made it to the top and climbed out onto the wooden planks. Shifting her into his arms, he glared down at the woman he had explicitly dismissed before they left Nalen.
“It’s a girl,” Baldwin Carter observed breathlessly as he joined the ship’s first officer, bringing a lantern to light his way. He hadn’t been part of the search, and it shocked him to discover their stowaway had been of the female gender. “Hey, Rey!” he bellowed, turning towards the stern and calling to his buddy. “The stowaway’s a girl!”
“Forget that,” Piers snapped. “Go get a change of your clothes and bring them to my bunk,” he instructed, taking the small lamp from him.
“My clothes?” the younger man faltered. “What you want with them?”
“Well, mine won’t fit her, now will they?” the first mate chuckled as he stomped down the narrow ledge that would take him to his quarters under the wheel house. Making the sharp right through the door, he sat the lamp on his table to the right of it. He kicked a wooden chair obstructing his path to the bed aside and laid the young woman on his bunk.
Her breast exposed, he used a scrap of the cloth that had once been a dress to cover it, then pulled the blanket over it as well. Locating a small rag, he placed it over the cut on her head and held it there to catch the blood while he inspected the split in her lip.
A set of knuckles rapped sharply on the doorframe, and the captain announced sternly, “I hear our vagabond is a woman.”
“Aye,” Piers replied, “and before you come down on me, no, I didn’t let them have her.”
“You think you can keep them off her?” the older man chuckled. “We’re another week from Newrock at best, and it won’t be any better when we get there.”
“I’ll handle it,” his first mate grumbled, still focused on his charge.
“Sorry.” Baldwin arrived and excused himself with a nervous chuckle. “You asked for these?” He offered the pants and shirt to Piers.
“Aye, just drop them on the table,” came his short reply.
Doing as instructed, Baldwin laid the items next to the lamp and grinned at his friend, who had come to join them. “See, Rey? A girl!”
Reynard Daye craned his neck for a glimpse but caught the dark gaze of the captain instead. “Sorry, sir,” he clipped, standing up straighter and considering bolting.
“What do you two know about this?” the captain asked warily, squinting at two of the youngest members of their crew.
“N-nothing,” Rey stammered with a shrug. “Bally just said it was a girl,” he half grinned, his face flushed.
Suppressing a smile, the captain clamped the one closest to him on the shoulder. “Bally, you and Rey are in charge of helping look after her. Get Piers whatever he needs, and I don’t want that girl left alone at any time until we get her back to Nalen.”
“You don’t think she’s headed to Newrock?” Rey questioned as the captain pushed past him and headed up the stairs to check the wheel.
“Pfft, no,” he laughed out loud and glanced down at his crewman from the top step. “I doubt she stowed away on a cargo boat so she could go join a brothel.”
“A brothel,” Baldwin repeated, looking over at his best mate. “You mean…?”
“He means, you two are going to help me look after her,” Piers replied, shoving the smaller man towards the door and handing him his lantern. “Go get some sleep and be back here in the morning so we can work out that schedule for sitting with her. Bring breakfast when you come,” he ordered.
Lighting a lamp on the wall and setting the glass cover in place, the windowless room took on a soft glow. He looked over at the young woman ruefully as he began gathering a few items to treat her wounds before he bedded down for the night. He knew her presence on the ship would be a hassle he really would rather have avoided.
The following morning, the three men sat in the cramped space, eating breakfast and drinking coffee when Amicia awoke. “Just lay still,” Piers commanded as soon as her eyes fluttered open.
Hearing the voice to her left, the girl stared at the dark wood of the roof above her. Definitely not the hold. Her mind clouded, she recalled the hunt for her and the scuffle that followed. Looking down at her body, all she could see was a coarse blanket over the top of her.
“I said relax,” the man stated more gruffly, standing as he leaned over her and inspected a wound on the right side of her head. “You’ve got a nasty cut. I stitched it, and we don’t wanna get that bleeding again.”
“Where am I?” she asked with a huff of air, noting the sting of her lower lip when she spoke. Laying her fingers over it, she could feel a few stitches in it as well. Her body ached, and it frightened her what might have happened while she was unconscious.
“You’re safe. You’re in my cabin on my bunk.” He relaxed against the side of the bed, glaring at her. “Didn’t I tell you this wasn’t a luxury liner?”
“Yes,” she sniffed, her bottom lip pulsing as it quivered, her chin puckered with little dimples.
Rey stared at her, watching the exchange. “Don’t make her cry, Mate.”
“I’m not making her do anything,” his commander informed him tartly, cutting him a sideways glare. “This is Rey Daye, crewman. And Bally, cabin boy,” he informed her while flicking a finger to indicate the pair. “One of us will remain with you in this cabin for the duration of your journey.”
“Are we far?” she asked excitedly, her spirits instantly raised at the thought of finishing the voyage.
“We make port in Newrock in a few days,” he supplied. “We’ll have you back in Nalen in a few weeks.”
“Nalen!” she screamed, sitting straight up, then catching the fallen blanket to recover herself. Oh, my God, I’m naked, she observed before she stated aloud, “I can’t go back to Nalen!”
“Then you can get off at Newrock, if you like. I’m sure they’d love to have a pretty young wench like you,” he snapped. “New girls are hard to come by there.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she demanded, her eyes narrowed with anger at his derogatory term.
Glancing over his shoulder, Piers looked coolly at the two men still seated at his small table. “One of you care to enlighten her?” he offered.
When neither of them made a sound, he muttered, “Figures,” then continued at normal volume for her benefit. “Newrock is a mining town. It’s the only thing on the whole island, a bunch of men digging in the dirt for treasure. The only women there… are in the brothel,” he ended flatly, allowing her to make the connection.
“Oh, no,” she breathed, her chest rising and falling quickly as she fought for air. “Shit!” she blurted, her face growing bright red.
“Aye,” he eyed her, unable to hide the smile that suddenly sprang to his lips.
“Why are you grinning?” she growled, adjusting her cover and shifting her angry glare between the three of them.
“Nothing,” he laughed out loud as he turned to the exit. “Baldwin, you got chores, young man. Best get to them,” he announced as he stomped through the portal.
“Yes sir,” the cabin boy replied, following and closing the door behind him.
“What’s going on?” she sputtered after they had left. Shifting her gaze between the remaining man and the door, she raised her voice, “Answer me!”
His eyes wide, Rey managed to find his voice, “It’s like he said. We’re putting in at Newrock, then we head back to Nalen.”
“This boat doesn’t go anywhere else?”
“No… ma’am,” he stammered. “This ship only makes one run. Every six weeks, we put in at either end, Nalen and Newrock. Till the snow comes on Newrock, that is,” he stated more confidently.
“What happens then?”
“I don’t rightly know,” he shrugged. “This’s my first year on this route. I was cabin boy on another vessel before this, and I only hired on this one about six months back when we made the first run of the year.”
Glaring at him, Ami could feel her anger burning in her chest. “You mean I risked my life to hide on a boat… that only makes one stop… and I can’t even get off there?” she fumed.
“Ship. Yes ma’am, one stop,” he corrected and confirmed at the same time. “Would you like any help getting dressed?” he offered casually.
Her face taking on another bright red flush, tears streaked down her cheeks, and her voice squeaked, “No, I don’t want any help!”
“They banged you up pretty good,” he supplied, getting to his feet and moving closer with the bundle of clothes. “Good thing the Mate was there to stop them from doing anything serious,” he continued, laying the shirt and pants on the bed next to her and giving them a pat.
Resting her hand on the material, she scowled. “What’s this?”
“Some of Bally’s clothes. The Mate says they’ll fit you best on the ship,” he smiled. “Bally didn’t like it much, hearing he’s the same size as a girl.”
Ami chuckled nervously in spite of herself. “They didn’t…” her voice trailed away. “They didn’t force themselves on me?” she managed meekly, her eyes avoiding his.
“I reckon not.” Rey stood up straighter. “Piers’s in charge, and he told them they wasn’t allowed.”
“Then why are you three sitting with me?”
“Captain’s orders. In case you need anything, I suppose,” he laughed out loud, growing confident in the presence of the small blonde.
“I doubt that,” she squirmed, glancing around the room. “Do you mind waiting outside while I get dressed?”
“Sure, I can do that. We brought your bag up, too, in case you need it,” he indicated her pack hanging on the back of the door as he took the exit and closed it behind him.
Staring at her belongings, she considered putting on her other dress. Glancing at the shirt and pants, she wasn’t even sure they would fit her. Sliding her legs from beneath the warm blanket, the air of the cabin felt cool against her bruised flesh. Inspecting the dark purple splotches that decorated them, she recalled the struggle she had put up when the crewman had pulled her out of her hiding place.
Her tattered dress hanging off her, she ran her fingers over a few of the fragments, then noted the other cuts and bruises that had been treated by the first mate while she had been out. A tear escaped, and she cried a few more, wiping at them angrily, then recalled that Rey had informed her she had not been violated. Thank God for that.
Opting for Bally’s clothes, she fished her change in undergarments out of her bag and slipped into them. Pulling on the man’s pants, she laughed to find that they did indeed fit. He is the same size as a girl.
Donning his shirt and the sweater that went with her winter dress, she ran her hands over the material, as if ironing it onto her flesh. She didn’t like the idea of being surrounded by men who would, or could, hurt her if given the chance. At least the captain has given me some protection, she mused.
Remembering her wool socks, she knew the weather was a bit warm for them, but she wanted to wear the boots as well, in case she needed to kick anyone any time soon. Shoving her feet in, she sighed. “Nalen,” she mumbled to herself. “When we get back there, I’m getting on another boat, only this time I’m going to find out where they’re headed before I do!”
Finally decent, she cracked the door and peeked out. His back to her, Rey stood at the railing watching the ocean glide by beneath them. “I’m dressed,” she announced, stepping back to allow him to enter.
Back inside, Rey rubbed his palms against his shirt as he studied her. Her hair a frizzy mess, he could see the dried blood matted in places. “I should fetch some water to clean you up a bit,” he offered.
Glancing down at her new wardrobe, then at her bare arms, she nodded, “Yes, I could definitely use a bath. Will I be safe alone?”
“Of course,” he agreed with a firm nod. “Or, you can come and visit the head. It’ll only take us a few minutes. The bathing water and soap are nearby, on the lower deck.”
Looking both ways to find the walk empty as they exited, Rey took the girl’s hand and led her along the side of the ship. Glancing out at the wide expanse of water on the right as they passed the hold on the left, Ami gasped, “There’s no land!”
“Why would there be?” he laughed, tugging at her to keep up. He had begun forming second thoughts the moment they left the first mate’s quarters and wanted to make the trip as short as possible if he could help it.
They made it to the head without being noticed, and he instructed, “Take a piss, or whatever you need, and I’ll fetch the rest.” Leaving her to do her business, he went down the steps to their bathing area. The sailors each got one bucket a week for their bath, but at the moment the area was deserted.
Glancing around anxiously, he filled a pail with water and slipped a cake of soap into his pocket. Waiting a few minutes, he scanned the deck, feeling foolish at having brought her and nervously considered what would happen if any of the crew noticed them before he could get her safely back under cover.
Adjusting her clothing back into place, Ami joined him a few minutes later. Sliding her fingers into his free left hand, she followed obediently as he led her to the Mate’s quarters, the container of fresh water gripped tightly in his right.
“You seem tense,” she observed as they reached the center of the ship once more.
“Aye,” he agreed. “I’m going to smack anyone who approaches with this bucket, so be ready,” he informed her with a small laugh.
Smiling herself, she felt safe in his care. “Thanks, Rey,” she replied, squeezing his digits as they entered the narrow passage to arrive at the door.
Inside the small space, the young man helped her use the water to remove the blood from her hair and to clean the streaks from her face and arms. Sensing her discomfort when she moved, he commanded, “Here, sit and let me do it.”
Placing her in one of the chairs in the center of the room, he moved about her, tending to her needs. Using her brush, his strokes were gentle as he removed the knots and tamed her wild curls.
“I think you’ve done this before,�
� she observed with a small giggle.
“Sisters,” he replied with a grin. “Is that cut bothering you?” he inquired, indicating the way she patted her lip with trembling fingers.
“A little,” she confessed, on the verge of tears.
“The Mate thought that it might,” he soothed with a sigh. “He left some witch-hazel for it.” Opening the small pouch of medical supplies that the first officer kept on hand, he pulled out the tiny bottle and a small clean square of cloth. Demonstrating, he instructed, “Place the material over it and tilt it, like this, so it gets a little wet, but not too much.” Handing it to her, he watched as she repeated the process. “Good, now dab it on your lip.”
“What does it do?” she asked as she applied the treatment, wincing at the sting of it.
“Cleans, disinfects, and even numbs it a little,” he said with a nod. “Getting an infection is dangerous, and around here, it’s really easy to lose a hand or a foot even to a small cut.”
“Oh yeah?” she replied, folding the cloth and giving it another tilt on the bottle before applying it again. It burned like hell, but a moment later it felt better. “We have stuff similar to this at home. I never thought to bring any of it, though.”
“Well, you only have the one bag, you couldn’t bring everything,” he agreed with a chuckle. Leaving her to her lip, he returned to her hair, finishing the cleansing and brushing. Deciding she would be more comfortable with it up and away from her cuts, he used a ribbon from her bag to tie it into a knot.
“Did my mirror survive?” she asked timidly, not sure if she really wanted to look.
“Uh, yeah,” he agreed, fishing it out. Handing it to her, he waited, a bit anxious at how she would react to the abuse her delicate features had suffered at the hands of his crewmates.
Staring at the small round circle, Ami thought about the year she had been given the device; the last gift Gus had presented to her before he died. Blinking back tears, she held it up and examined her reflection briefly before her hand dropped back into her lap.
Dragon of Eriden - The Complete Collection Page 5