The man raised an eyebrow. “You can’t be a day older than—”
“I’m sixteen today.” I raised my chin. “And perfectly capable of caring for myself.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Suit yerself, lass.” With that, he began packing up his crates, and only then did I notice the inscription stamped upon each one: Fortune’s Favor. My breath hitched; fortune certainly was in my favor today. I hadn’t heard of many ships, but as the largest and grandest to ferry goods into our humble port, everyone knew of this one.
“F-fortune’s Favor,” I stammered. “You sail with her?”
“Aye. What’s it to ya?”
“You know its Captain, then. Captain Harlow?”
“Aye.” He hadn’t even looked up from his work, and was nearly prepared to walk away.
I stepped in his path. “Take me to him.”
This earned me another puzzled look, but this time, it was coupled with a scoff. “Aren’t ya a bit small to be barkin’ orders?”
“It wasn’t an order—it was a request.”
“Didn’t sound much like one—”
“Please. Take me to your Captain, please.”
He chuckled. “And what business does a lass have with my Captain? He’s a busy man, so yeh’d best make it good.”
“I’ll discuss my terms with him, and him alone.” I was pushing it now, I knew, but I had nothing but what I carried on my back—nothing I couldn’t afford to lose.
The sailor frowned and wagged a finger. “Nice try, lassie, but I ain’t playin’ this game. You’ll tell me yer terms, and then I decide if it’s worth troublin’ my Captain ‘bout.”
I swallowed. Nothing left to lose. “I…I seek employment.”
There it was; my deepest desire out in the open, free as the breeze, and I could no longer take it back. I’d kept my dream of sailing the high seas to myself ever since I’d been nicknamed ‘Wayward Wendy,’ but it hadn’t stopped the other children from laughing and making their cruel jokes.
He stared at me, blinking as though I’d spoken in tongues. “A lassie—a deckhand?”
I nodded. “I’ll accept whatever the Captain offers. That would be a wonderful start.”
“A start?”
“Well, yes, I don’t expect I’d scrub the galleys for the rest of my days—”
“Have ya sailed before?”
I swallowed. “No.”
“Have ya been on a ship before?”
“No, but—”
“Lass,” he sighed, “ships ain’t no place for—”
“A woman can do anything a man can.” I balled my hands into fists; I hadn’t come all this way to be told no by someone who’d reduce my worth down to my sex. “I can clean, I can cook, and I’m a quick learner.”
“Aye, anyone can do such things.” He shouldered his crates. “And we just happen to have men doin’ em. Step aside.”
I glowered. “No.”
“Lassie, don’t make me force ya—”
Force—my eyes darted to the knife sheathed at his belt. His hands were occupied.
Mine weren’t.
I was shocked by my own actions and my heart threatened to beat out of my chest, but before either of us knew how, I’d turned his own knife against him. The weapon felt strange in my hands and weighed more than I expected, my hands and voice shook, but my feet were planted firm.
“I told you I learn quickly.”
to be continued...
About the Author
Raelynn Davennor has been creating and discovering fantastical worlds for as long as she can remember—often getting scolded for reading while her teachers were talking. As both an author and composer of music, Raelynn utilizes her creations in her fictional worlds full of darkness, dragons, and sassy heroines. She’s made appearances with artists such as The Who, Weird Al, and Hugh Jackman, and performed on many of the largest stages in the United States. Her inspiration takes no mercy on her despite her busy schedule.
Even when completing the most mundane tasks, Raelynn is usually lost in her head, flying across the sea on the back of a dragon or humming a tune she can’t wait to scribble down. In her little remaining free time, she enjoys pampering her menagerie of pets and pretending she isn’t an adult.
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