The Valkyrie Series: The First Fleet - (Books 1-3) Look Sharpe!, Ill Wind & Dead Reckoning: Caribbean Pirate Adventure

by Karen Perkins

  At the flood of the tide, Gabriella had Freyja’s foremast rigged, and the conjoined vessels launched their largest boats. My pinnace took the existing towing warp, the women each had another, and the three boats steadily warped Freykarie to the beach across that River Styx of teeth. Another boat stood by to help Freyja’s rudder by hauling her round so that she’d be left high and dry with Valkyrie’s stern fair to the sea.

  Now we had time to rest before the work started all over again at the next high tide, but these crews had been idle too long during our slow westward passage and, after a swift fortification of rum, they set about exploring the island.

  I looked around at what would be our new home for the foreseeable future and smiled. It would do. White sand, dotted with the green and brown shells of turtles, was lapped by the gentle swell of the sparkling sea. Shoreward, the beach was lined by palm and lush greenery, so there must be plenty of fresh water. The casks were rancid after so long adrift—I’d put a water party together straight away.

  Further inland, a rocky outcrop towered over jungle, and I racked my brains trying to remember which island this was. It didn’t look very long, maybe only a league across, but I’d have to verify that. I looked back to the beach and my exploring crew, wondering if some of them had had the same idea, then I realized they weren’t exploring at all. They were simply charging down the beach after the turtles and flipping them onto their backs. Unlike the sharks, we could eat the fully grown despite their armor. There were hundreds, if not thousands of them, and it promised to be quite a feast. There was still work to be done today, but I decided to leave them to their fun for now. It had been a tense and frustrating few weeks, if not months, which had affected everyone. The work could wait a day.

  “What do you think we should do with the Freyjamen?” Gabriella joined me.

  “They’re your prisoners, what do you want to do with them?” I hoped that was the right answer.

  “Get them out of that stinking hold for a start, any that want to join us, that is. Do you really think they’ll sign our articles?”

  “Sí. You bested Hornigold and have a hold full of plunder, why wouldn’t they want to join a successful pirate crew?

  “Talking of articles, you realize you broke them?” I added.

  She stared at me. “Is that really the way you want to start married life?” she asked.

  I sighed, we would have to start again. “Will your Valkyries sign articles with Freedom again?”

  She didn’t answer for a while, then laughed. “I’ll have to take a vote, but I doubt it unless you agree to better terms—we’ve proved ourselves now.”

  I nodded, that would have to be thrashed out in a crew council and could wait. Gabriella was negotiating, not arguing. Not only did I have my woman back, even if she did seem a little distant, but I had my fleet back too, and it was growing.

  “We’ll split the boats at the morning’s high tide,” I said. “Assuming we can save them both, what are your plans for Freyja?”

  “She’s Valkyrie’s prize and Carmen’s my quartermaster, so she has first refusal as Freyja’s captain and I’m sure she’ll take it.”

  “Mmm, you’re probably right. Will she be trouble?”

  “I expect so, but that would be true whatever deck she sailed on!” She laughed, then grew serious again. “If she agrees and signs the articles, she shouldn’t be too much of a problem, not with her own command again. She wasn’t happy about leaving Freedom’s firepower behind, she’ll behave well enough.”

  I laughed with her. That was probably the best we could hope for, whoever captained her. If Carmen did take Freyja, I decided to make sure I had some of Freedom’s best men aboard her, just in case. Not that it had done me much good with Gabriella and Valkyrie.

  Chapter 94

  GABRIELLA

  Freykarie Island

  Whilst Freedom’s crew found and fetched water, and gathered driftwood for tonight’s feast—our wedding feast I realized, even if it was a week or two belated—my Valkyries organized the warps and kedges that would be needed tomorrow to haul Freykarie apart, and I admit I was nervous. We’d only be sure of Valkyrie’s stem once she was free, and if it was cracked, she’d rot here. I wanted to know now, but I also wanted to put the knowing off for as long as possible. In the meantime, I had thirty-odd men captive in my prize, and it was high time I sorted them out.

  Andy supervised bringing them topside, still bound, and they emerged onto decks that had so recently been theirs: blinking, stinking and beaten. They gathered on the maindeck in full view of the activity on the beach and the Valkyries patrolled around them. I could almost see them salivating at the growing pile of keel-up turtle and the trench of driftwood. I decided to keep this short.

  “I’ll not mess about with any fancy speech, you’ve done this enough yourselves to know what’s coming,” I started. “You’ve a choice to make. Your captain’s dead, I suppose the most senior Freyjaman left is Sharpe and you can join him, although I have to say his prospects are not looking too bright at the moment. Or you can sign onto our account and sail under myself or Leo. But don’t think you’ll have it easy under a woman captain—and never forget it was me and my crew that beat you in a fight where you had all the advantages.

  “I will not tolerate any disrespect on my ship, whether it’s aimed at me or a member of my crew—male or female. I will not hesitate to maroon any one of you who steps over the line or makes a nuisance of himself. Do I make myself clear?

  “Do not forget who I am or what I’ve done.” I glared at each of them in turn to make sure they understood my sincerity.

  “You, what do you say?” I pointed at the man closest to me. Dirty, scrawny and unshaven, he croaked. “With you, ma’am.”

  “Very well, untie him and give him some water and a writing stick to make his mark.”

  They would have to sign Valkyrie’s existing articles until we agreed new terms with Leo and the Freedom Fighters.

  “Oh, and if you call me ma’am again I’ll cut out your tongue. You’ll address me as Captain. Who’s next?”

  One by one, they joined us. Leo was right, they didn’t care who they sailed with now that Hornigold had been routed. Meat, rum and gold would be enough to keep them loyal to the articles. Cheval was next.

  “I’m with you, Capitaine.”

  “No you’re not, Cheval.” I turned at Leo’s interruption and raised my eyebrows in question. “We go back a while, Gabriella, I’ve given Cheval a chance once before, he is not to join us again.”

  I stared at him, annoyed that he was telling me what to do in front of my crew and captives, then nodded my agreement—I knew Cheval of old. “Very well, he’s yours to do with as you will.”

  Leo smiled and hauled Cheval off the deck.

  “Sharpe?” I’d left him until last. I’d once counted him a friend, and knew I owed him my life, but he’d killed Jan and Wilbert. He was also one of the men who had taken Leo’s first love, Magdalena, and I didn’t know how to react to his presence aboard my ship.

  “Yes, Captain. It will be a pleasure to serve under you.” He smiled. I nodded, still unsure of him.

  “Very well. That’s it. Everyone ashore and get to work, we have my wedding feast to prepare!”

  *

  I watched Jack grab another turtle from the dwindling pile and slit its neck. He slid his knife between belly and shell and worked it all the way round, then gutted it, cut away the ill-tasting dark meat from the shoulders, and threw the body on the fire to cook. I tore another mouthful of flesh from the one in front of me and chewed slowly. It was delicious—by far the sweetest delight in the sea.

  “Mr.-and-Mrs.-Captain!” I turned to Greenwoode, who had proffered the slurred and annoying toast yet again, smiled and drank. Again. The wedding toasts had got overly numerous by now and I was getting a bit tired of raising my rumpot to them.

  Leo leaned closer and put his hand on my belly. “Any regrets?” he asked me—he must have sensed m
y irritation and the rum had made him bold enough to risk my answer. I smiled and shook my head, resting it on his shoulder for a moment. I couldn’t bring forth any more enthusiasm, even if I had only been married a week.

  Truth be told I had plenty of regrets, and they started with my belly. I was sick of being fat and lumbering around deck. I wanted the child out, but, just like separating the boats, I also wanted her to stay exactly where she was for as long as possible. I was a sailor, a pirate, not a mother, how could I rear a child at sea? I thought back to Klara’s last words. I did as you asked, Klara. I’ve married him and I’ll call her Raphaella. I’m keeping my promises to you, and we’ll attack Brisingamen and kill Erik—I hope you knew what you were saying. I hope I’m doing right by my child. I wish you were here, Klara, I wish you were still with me.

  “What is it, Gabriella? Why are you crying?”

  “I-miss-Klara,” I mumbled, then sat up and wiped my face. I didn’t want my crew—especially the new members—to see my tears.

  “We have to decide what to do with the Freyjamen,” I added, all business again.

  “Sí, we should spread them round all three of the ships.”

  “Yes. I want a handful on Valkyrie to replace those who’ll sail with Carmen aboard Freyja, and she’ll need more men too. But I’m worried there’ll be trouble, Leo. I’m nervous about having so many Freyjamen on our decks.”

  “Hmm, let’s put most aboard Freedom where there’s a bigger crew to keep an eye on them. Both Valkyrie and Freyja are light and maneuverable, Sound of Freedom is by far the bigger ship and the better fighting platform—I can use plenty of hands on guns.” He paused. “What do you want to do with Sharpe? I know he helped you in the past, but you can’t trust his obedience, especially now that he’s the most senior Freyjamen. We need to take care with him.”

  I smiled. “Put him aboard Freyja. Let Carmen deal with him.”

  Chapter 95

  GABRIELLA

  5th June 1687

  Despite the previous night’s festivities, the crews were up at dawn to secure warps from Freyja—bow, amidships and stern—to the sturdiest trees. The bitter ends of the kedges had all been made fast to Valkyrie, and the iron anchors were in the boats waiting for the high tide.

  “You may as well put the boats off, querida. High tide’s only a couple of hours away.”

  “You heard him! Launch the boats!” I called, too nervous to mind Leo giving me advice. I had thought about trundling them down the beach on gun carriages at low tide, but the anchors were too heavy for wet sand, the boats would manage them better. The two that had been towed were pushed down the beach and the others joined them, until I had six boat crews braving the shark-infested waters to drop the kedges a musket-shot offshore. I stood at Valkyrie’s stern to watch and could see it was damned hard work to row out against the surf, but eventually the first anchor was dropped and soon there was a fan of half a dozen kedges spread off the stern, their positions marked by empty barrels.

  “Take up the slack and bed them in!” I shouted forward, and the Freyjamen at each of Valkyrie’s capstan and windlasses started to heave. The real work would begin when there was enough water around Valkyrie’s hull to float her. I grasped Valkyrie’s rail so tightly my knuckles showed white.

  One by one, the anchor warps tautened and held. “Very well, leave it there, make it fast!” I shouted and walked slowly forward past the teams of sweating men all downing the clear fresh water from the spring we’d found ashore. When I eventually reached the bow, I leaned over the rail as best I could. Leo had joined Gaunt once the boats had been put off and I ahoyed below.

  “How does she look?” I asked.

  Gaunt had cleared away the lines we’d used to secure the two ships to avoid them working loose when under tow, cut away some of Freyja’s timber and was rubbing tallow on Valkyrie’s bow to ease her passage as much as possible.

  “We’re making good progress, querida. We’ll be ready in half an hour.”

  “Very well. The rudder’s awash already, we don’t have much longer than that.”

  “Don’t fret, querida, we have to wait until there’s enough depth under her bows.”

  I knew that, but was still nervous. I’d soon know if I had killed my boat as well as my best friend and three others of a crew that had trusted me. I gripped the rail again.

  *

  “Haul away!”

  High tide had come at last and teams of Freyjamen, Valkyries and Freedom Fighters hauled on capstan and windlass bars, as well as bare hawser. Even the bowers had been deployed, although they hadn’t been taken very far out. By working directly on Valkyrie’s bows, they gave that bit more leverage.

  A heaving chant rang out from the main capstan and was taken up by the whole crew. I smiled at Leo—everyone was working together.

  “Heave away, my hearties, Haul away!”

  I grabbed Leo’s arm in excitement. I’d felt a shudder beneath my feet.

  “She’s coming, querida, she’s coming.”

  Another verse of the shanty and another shudder, then another. All at once Valkyrie shot backwards and men tumbled to the deck, cheering. I kept my feet thanks to my grip on Leo, and his on the bowrail, but I was holding on too tightly.

  “What’s wrong?” Leo asked.

  “Nothing. Look!” I could clearly see the hole stove into Freyja’s board. Valkyrie was free, but we had no time to rest and I shouted for the anchor cables to be loosed. Valkyrie would be taking on water, and I didn’t have time to haul them all aboard.

  “Set the jibs and mainsail!” I shouted. The sails were unfurled and sheets hauled in. Valkyrie sailed again, but not for long. I’d headed aft as soon as I’d seen Freyja clear, and now grabbed the tiller.

  “Back the jibs!” I screamed, and pushed the tiller to windward. Valkyrie’s nose swung downwind and we started to move. I hauled the tiller back amidships and she responded. We had steerage. “Let go the jibs!

  “Haul leeward jib sheets!”

  The two triangular sails filled to leeward—larboard in this case—and we sailed back ashore, just downwind of Freyja.

  “Let go all sheets!”

  The surf took us, lifted us, and deposited Valkyrie onto the beach.

  “Well done everyone! Rum all round! But keep a clear enough head to recover the anchors!”

  Everyone cheered again and swarmed down the lines thrown over the hull to the sand. I followed a little more slowly in a bo’sun’s chair, cursing with impatience at my careful descent at Baba and Greenwoode’s hands. It was time to find out Valkyrie’s fate, and I was stuck on a plank of wood being lowered to the sand as if I were made of fine porcelain.

  “Querida.” Leo grabbed me as soon as my feet looked like touching the beach, and Bess hovered nearby. I stumbled slightly, cursing at my lack of balance.

  “Well, Mr. Gaunt?” I huffed. He had dashed down the beach and was busy making his inspection as I reached him.

  Valkyrie’s prow loomed above us like a towering wooden wave, freshly scarred from her recent battle. The pale wooden splits and cuts in her dark tarred wood seemed shocking, and I felt guilty knowing that I was the cause of them. I’d almost come to think of her as a living, breathing being, and I had to remind myself she was wood, she didn’t feel pain or injury. Just as well, Gaunt was repeatedly sticking an awl into her beams, tutting or umming and ahhing at the results of his prodding, more for the benefit of the crew ringed around us than anything else, I was sure.

  I looked around, everyone was tense and silent. It was unnerving. These men and women were never quiet, they constantly argued or laughed or sang, and I turned my attention back to Gaunt, who took a step back.

  “Well?” I demanded, ready to hit him if he did not stop stroking his chin and start speaking.

  He sighed and looked around him at the crew, then focused his gaze on me.

  “Her stem’s sound, lassie, she’s sound. Most of her forward strakes’ll need replacing, but I’ll have her s
hipshape again, lass, with time.”

  “Thank God for that,” I gasped, but my relief was short-lived.

  “Sail oh!”

  I spun seaward as best I could, then looked at Leo—I didn’t recognize the ship bearing down on the island.

  “It’s Blake,” he said, then shouted, “All hands to Freedom!

  “Sorry, querida,” he added. “We’ll have to leave Valkyrie where she is for now. We’ll come back for her soon.”

  “We’d better,” I muttered, and followed him to the ship’s boats. I knew Valkyrie wasn’t fit for another fight, but I hated abandoning her and Freyja on this beach. However much I didn’t want to admit it, our best chance was Sound of Freedom.

  I looked seaward again. Blake’s sails were growing, we didn’t have much time.

  Chapter 96

  The first cannonball hit just offshore long before we reached Freedom’s boats, and panic spread along the beach faster than plague. We had two guns on the beach a cable away, but no one was there to man them: we’d all been involved in separating Valkyrie and Freyja. Our only other working guns were aboard Freedom, anchored offshore, but the closest men were still too far away from the boats.

  Leo pulled ahead of me and grabbed my arm. “Come on, Gabriella, come on!”

  “I can’t,” I gasped, how the hell does he think I can run like this?

  Jean-Claude and Feliciano reached the defensive guns on the beach. They were tackled by three Freyjamen. The Carib creed of offering quarter and a place to a bested crew was backfiring on us badly. With Blake’s arrival, their old loyalties shone through, stronger than their new oaths. We were doomed. The enemy was amongst us, and we were poorly armed and outmanned.

  *

  Blake’s cannon were almost within range of Freedom. Of course she’d be his target, I could almost feel Leo’s anguish at his helplessness. He loved that ship as he would a lover. He mastered her, fed her, clothed and maintained her. But today he couldn’t protect her.