by Jamie Davis
“Where do we go?” Helen asked.
“I’m not sure. I do know one thing. We can’t stay here anymore. Francesca, go get Percy and make sure he’s got his things together, then go round up the princess. I’m going back to my room to gather my weapons. I suggest you all do the same. I don’t think we’re going to make it to the harbor without a fight.“
The three of them split up, heading in different directions inside the large manor house. Cari reached her rooms and grabbed her sword baldric settling it diagonally across her chest so that her sword hung at her right side. She strapped on her belt, buckling the bottom of the dagger’s sheath where it hung down next to her thigh.
She lamented once again losing her precious bag of holding when her ship, the Vengeance, sank before she could be rescued by the Raiders. Cari shook her head. There was no sense in worrying about something she couldn’t do anything about. Looking around the room one last time for anything that might be useful, she wheeled about and headed out the door.
Cari reached the main hall downstairs just as Helen arrived with the princess, her cabin boy, Percy, and Francesca. Everyone was armed except for the princess. After all, what kind of weapon did you give to a six-year-old?
“All right,” Cari said. “We’re going to head out back to the stable yard. Hopefully, the rear gate isn’t being watched by anyone from that mob out front. We’ll see if we can hitch a horse to one of the small carts and load ourselves up in that. Then we can get out of here. Perhaps if we head inland on one of the island roads, we can circle around and come at the harbor from a different direction.”
“What are we going to do when we get to the harbor?” Helen asked. “It’s not like we have a ship anymore.”
“We’ll deal with that when we get there. We still have a few friends in town.”
Quest accepted — Escape to the Harbor
The small group headed out the back of the main house into the courtyard. They walked towards the stables. There weren’t any servants around, which Cari thought was strange. She wondered if they were hiding or had run off after seeing an angry mob gathered outside their master’s residence.
She worried about not leaving a letter of some sort for Crandall. She figured he’d probably understand in the long run. Besides, any notes you left could be found. If people from the mob got inside the gates, they’d surely search the home. She didn’t want any of them figuring out what she might be planning.
Percy raced ahead into the stable and led a horse into the center of the paddock where a small, two-wheeled cart was sitting. He started hitching up the horse to the traces. Francesca immediately went over to lend a hand.
Once they had the cart hitched, Cari picked up Jaycee and set her in the back of the wagon. Francesca and Percy climbed in back with the girl. They sat down with their legs dangling over the end of the small open wagon-bed. Helen climbed up to the short bench at the front of the cart. Cari joined her, picking up the reins. She made a clucking sound and slapped the reins down on the horse’s back. The horse started forward, pulling the cart behind with a lurch.
The rear gate to the estate was open and no one was outside when they reached it so Cari snapped the reins down a little harder on the horse’s back. The horse sped up to a trot, heading down the dirt road leading from the rear of the estate into the thick jungle of the tropical island on which they’d been staying.
In the background as they left, Cari heard angry shouts and the sound of a couple of gunshots. She hoped Crandall was alright. There was no going back at this point, though. Her primary responsibility was getting Jaycee to safety. They’d made it out just in time.
Chapter 2
The small cart and its occupants bounced down the dirt track as the horse trotted along. Cari looked back and realized they were out of sight of Crandall’s estate. She slowed the horse to a walk and everyone stopped holding on quite so desperately. Cari followed the trail in front of them as they proceeded; the sun beginning to dip below the horizon. Soon she’d have to try to find a way to circle back to the harbor.
Percy stood up behind the driver’s bench and pointed past Cari’s shoulder up the road ahead of them. “Captain, there’s a turn to the left up there. It veers from the main trail. I think this cart is small enough to take that different track.”
“Where does it go?”
“It circles down towards the beach road past several other estates belonging to the other captains. I think if we travel back along the beach road, we might be able to avoid most of the crowd up by Captain Wheldon’s house.”
“Excellent idea, Mr. McShea,” Cari said. “You are shaping up into a fine young ship’s officer.”
Percy beamed with pride, a broad smile filling his face in the gathering gloom of dusk. Just as the boy had indicated, a small trail led off to the left and Cari coaxed the horse onto the much narrower track. It led downhill. The path was steep and there were a few precarious places along the trail. Cari managed to navigate and negotiate them without overturning the cart, though.
The track opened up onto a dirt road that paralleled the island’s white sand beach. Cari looked ahead as the moonlight shone like a silver path along the ocean’s clear waters. She could hear the waves crashing on the shore as they turned and headed back towards the harbor.
Fortunately, they did not encounter anyone on the coast road. There would be no hiding their identities. The town and population of Cairn Island were small enough that everyone knew who Cari and her friends were.
“I think we’re going to have to get some help,” Cari said, breaking the uneasy silence.
“What did you have in mind?” Helen asked.
“Percy, isn’t Captain Hitchcock’s home down along the coast here somewhere?”
“Yes, ma’am. It’s just a little farther along here. It’s on the right.”
“Let’s hope he and his wife are still siding with Captain Wheldon. We’re going to need their help if we’re going to get off this island without getting caught.”
Cari continued down the road, thankful for the darkness. It would help to hide them from anyone who might see them pass by. Hopefully, those out at this hour would just assume they were a group of regular islanders out and about in the early evening.
When they arrived at Captain Hitchcock’s home. Cari pulled the small cart into the courtyard in front of the house and climbed down from the seat. Handing the reins to Helen, Cari said, “At the first sign of trouble, get the heck out of here.”
“What about you, captain?”
“Don’t worry about me. I can get myself out of trouble. Your first responsibility is to the princess. Keep her safe.”
Helen nodded, with a glance back towards Jaycee seated in the back.
The young girl was wide-eyed and taking all of it in. She seemed like she might be a little frightened, “Cari, you can’t leave me. What will I do without you to protect me?” the young princess barely managed to squeak out.
Cari knelt down in front of the small girl, resting her hand on her cheek. “I am not leaving you, Jaycee. I just need to go in here and ask Captain Hitchcock for some assistance. I’ll be right over there and you’ll be able to see me in the doorway the whole time. If anything happens, Miss Doolan will help you until I can catch up again. Understand?”
The young, six-year-old princess nodded. She didn’t look all that reassured, though. Cari sighed. She turned and walked up the broad steps to the front door, lifting the heavy brass knocker. She let it fall twice then waited for someone to answer the door.
The door opened and Jackie, Captain Hitchcock’s wife, stood in the doorway silhouetted by lamplight coming from inside the home. “Cari, my dear, how nice to see you.”
The woman took in the scene behind Cari, seeing all the others in the cart. “What brings you to our home with all of your friends in that strange little cart? Is everything all right?”
“Jackie, can we come inside? There’s been some trouble up at Crandall’s house and we
had to get away in a hurry. There was a mob of people demanding for us to be turned over to them.”
“Day Ivarson, that bastard,” Jackie said, guessing who was behind the mob. “When I get my hands on that man, I’m going to remind him that I used to change his diapers when he was little. How he got to be a captain and stay there in that job when he’s such a bastard, I’ll never understand.”
“We can worry about that later, Jackie, can we come inside?”
“Of course, my dear, come on in. You know you’re always welcome in our home. After all, it was you who rescued us from the Sultanate compound when we were hostages. My family and I owe you our lives.”
Six months before, Cari and her crew had rescued Jackie and other Raider hostages who’d been held prisoner by the Duke of Charon’s friends to the south. They were imprisoned to coax the Raiders into attacking ships and villages up and down the western coast of the empire. With the return of the hostages, Cari was able to convince the council of captains to stop their piracy and turn back to peaceful merchant endeavors.
Cari beckoned to her friends in the cart. They unloaded in a hurry and darted inside. As Cari followed the last of them inside, Captain Hitchcock came out of his study into the central hallway. “Cari, you look concerned. What are you all doing here? What’s wrong?”
“Day Ivarson has managed to gather enough captains behind him to attempt to overthrow Crandall’s hold on the council. Given what Day plans to do, I thought it best for us to get out of there while we could. I’m hoping you and Jackie can help us get off the island. It’s not safe for us here anymore.”
“Of course, I will do anything I can to help you. The problem is that my ship is currently being overhauled and it’s not going to be able to sail anywhere for several days.”
“That’s not the ship I’m thinking of,” Cari said.
“What ship did you have in mind?”
“I’m going to take Crandall’s racing schooner, the Sailfish.”
Captain Hitchcock pursed his lips and shook his head. “He’s not going to be very happy about you taking that toy of his.”
“We’ve got to get away from here fast. And I don’t think we should be in a vessel the others could easily catch if they followed after us. In the racing schooner, we’ll be able to outrun anything that might try to follow us from here and the other islands nearby.”
“That’s true. But the three of you and the two children aren’t going to be able to crew that vessel all by yourselves.”
“That’s why she’s here, husband,” Jackie said, guessing their reason for stopping. “Cari needs our help once again gathering a few loyal crew members. Isn’t that right, Cari?
Cari nodded.
Captain Hitchcock scratched his head in thought, then nodded in return. “I suppose there are a few of my crew I could recommend, but I’d have to tell them what was going on. I can’t send them into trouble like this blindly. If they decide not to go, they’ll still know what you’re planning on doing. Are you alright with that?”
“I don’t have a choice,” Cari said. “We’ve got to get off this island. I’ll take whatever crew I can get.”
Captain Hitchcock agreed with her. “Alright, you all stay here. Jackie will get you something to eat and keep you safe from prying eyes. I’ll head out and see what I can do about gathering a crew. You shouldn’t need more than four or five people for that schooner. I don’t think that’ll be too hard for me to find.”
Captain Hitchcock grabbed his coat and hat and headed out the door, pulling it shut behind him.
Jackie smiled at them all and pointed towards the back of the house. “Come along. The cook just finished making dinner. There’s plenty for everyone. I want you all to eat your fill. Lord knows when you’ll get another decent meal.”
Cari smiled and followed Jackie back towards the kitchen and the smell of delicious food wafting from it. The others tagged along behind her.
An hour later, Cari pushed back from her seat at the table and leaned back in her chair smiling upward at the ceiling. The fried potatoes and fish reminded her of the fish and chips she would occasionally get from a pub at home, and she’d probably eaten more than she should have.
Like Jackie said, though, there was no telling when she’d get a meal like it again with everything laying before them. She planned on being on this journey for quite some time once they left Cairn Island.
Cari smiled at her hostess and said, “Jackie that was wonderful. I’m going to miss having dinner here.”
“Hopefully, Cari, you’ll be able to return someday and stay as long as you wish.”
Cari reached out and raised her wine glass. “I’ll drink to that.”
Jackie raised her glass, as did Helen and Francesca. The four adults toasted to better times. As they all drank from their glasses, the front door opened and closed. Cari stood up, her hand drifting to her sword’s hilt. She hoped it was just Captain Hitchcock returning. She could hear more than one voice, though, and that concerned her.
She relaxed when she saw the captain enter the room. He was followed by six sailors, two women and four men.
“I was able to find these six. They are all able sailors and will serve you well. We do however need to get moving. One of the people I stopped to recruit turned me down and he seemed a little cagey about his answer when I pressed him. I have to wonder if he is one of those siding with Captain Ivarson. It’s probably best if we get you back on the road to the harbor. We need to get you all on that schooner before it’s too late.”
“We can’t afford to get caught here this far from the harbor by that mob. We’ll never fight our way through,” Cari said. “We need to get moving now. Percy, go out and make sure the horse and cart are still hitched out front. Get it ready to go.”
“Aye, ma’am.” The boy raced off to attend to his task.
Cari turned to address the new recruits for her crew. “I thank you all for volunteering to come and help us. It means a lot that you are willing to risk everything in this way.”
One of the women in the group stepped forward with a broad smile. “I was just angry I couldn’t sail with you before, ma’am. I would’ve joined up in an instant if my ship had been in harbor at the time. I’m glad Captain Hitchcock came and found me.”
“What’s your name?”
“I am Sylvie. I was the second mate on Captain Hitchcock’s most recent voyage.”
“Are you sure you can do without her, captain?” Cari asked.
“I’ll do just fine. She’ll be a perfect person to back up Miss Doolan while you’re sailing. She’s also pretty good in a fight, all of them are.”
“Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to a fight. Let’s get going. We still have to steal that schooner and get it out to sea before anyone catches us.”
“Might I recommend that we go on ahead and get the schooner ready for you, ma’am?” Silvie said.
“That’s a good idea. A group as large as all of us might draw more attention. It would be better for us to split up,” Cari said. “You all go first. I will trust you to get the ship ready. Get everything ready to go and be prepared to cast off in a hurry. We might be on the run when we get there.”
“Aye, aye, ma’am,” Silvie said. “Come on, you all. You heard the captain. We’ve got work to do.” With a nod, the woman led the other five back out towards the front door.
“She seems able enough,” Cari said after the group left. “Are the other five as capable as she is?”
“They are. I’ll actually miss having them with me on my next voyage. But I think they are better served sailing with you and helping you get this young lady back to her great-grandmother.”
Jaycee smiled at the mention of her great-grandmother. “I can’t wait to see grandma. It has been so long I almost don’t remember what she looks like.”
“Hopefully, you’ll see her in a little over a month,” Cari said. “Finish up your cookies. It’s time for us to leave.”
Chapter
3
Cari gave their new crew members a half hour head start, then she and the others loaded back on their small cart and prepared to ride into town.
“I wish you Godspeed on your journey, Captain Dix.” Captain Hitchcock held out his hand and clasped wrists with Cari as she leaned down from the cart’s seat.
“Thank you, Captain. Without your help, we wouldn’t be going anywhere. I hope we see you again soon.”
“We would like that very much,” Jackie said. “My husband and I will be waiting for you to return. You can tell us of your further adventures. Take care of that little girl.”
“That’s the plan.” Cari sat up and shook the reins, slapping them down on the horse’s back. The cart lurched forward.
As soon as they cleared the front gate of Captain Hitchcock’s home, they turned right to head down the coast road towards the harbor. Cari cautioned the others. “Keep your eyes open. We don’t want to get caught by surprise. I don’t like what Captain Hitchcock said about that one crewman who balked at joining us. It could be nothing, or it could spell a big problem for our plans to get to the harbor unnoticed.”
The others nodded and set to keeping an eye out on either side of the cart as Cari continued down the dirt track. They hadn’t gone far into the outskirts of town before a voice called out from behind them.
“There they are! I told you they were at Captain Hitchcock’s. Come on we have to catch them!”
Cari looked over her shoulder and saw a group of five men on horseback begin galloping up the road behind them. “Damn, on those horses they’re going to catch up quick. Be ready, everyone.”
Cari slapped the reins down harder across the horse’s back. The horse began to gallop down through the outskirts of town towards the harbor.
She kept the cart upright somehow despite the way they bounced along the dirt road. It was close to tipping over a few times but she managed to stabilize them again just in time. Cari realized when they reached the cobblestone streets in the center of town, they were going to have to slow down or the rickety cart would probably fall apart.