by Dave Skinner
Chapter 8
“Do we have to worry about another ship coming after us?” Reese asked.
“No. They only had the one ship and a few fishing boats,” Brayson told her. “Where did you come from?”
“I was coming to meet Remi and saw the pirates as they were leaving. After, I boarded her ship. Remi wasn’t one of the dead, so I followed the pirates, but I wasn’t close enough to see where they went when they disappeared behind Swanrock Island. I have been sailing back and forth trying to find a hidden entrance. Were you prisoners of the pirates?”
“No, we were part of the crew.” Brayson saw the girl’s hand move towards the sword she wore. “We were forced into it.”
“You were forced to become pirates?”
“Yes. It was either join them or die.”
“Were you taken from the same ship as Remi?”
“No,” Remi interjected. “They were already part of the pirate crew that attacked my ship. In fact, he is the reason they captured me,” she said, pointing at Nails.
“Did he use magic on you?”
“No. He is a KaAnian.”
“What is a KaAnian?” Brayson asked. He saw Nails’ head come up as he asked his question.
“KaAnians are the people who crossed over to our world when theirs was overrun by the Destroyer’s army. They helped us defeat the demons when they came here,” Reese told him.
“Why do you think Nails is a KaAnian?” Brayson asked.
“Because of his scales.”
“There are other people who have scales like mine?” Nails asked.
“Yes, they have a city called New KaAn on the coast almost directly west of here,” Reese told them. “We can drop you there if you like. We are on our way to Gore, where I live, but New KaAn is in the general direction.”
“What do you think, Nails?” Brayson asked.
“I suppose so,” Nails said. “I like the idea of finding other people with skin like mine.”
“They have wizards as well,” Reese added. “You need help controlling your magic.”
“What magic?” Nails asked.
“The magic you used to destroy the pirate ship,” Remi said. “We have a wizard at Nadia, but he could never do what you just did, and his magic is strong.”
“Magic!” Nails exclaimed. “Is that what happened? I think I don’t like doing magic. Could a wizard make it go away?”
“I suppose they could, but I’m not really sure. If the KaAnian wizards can’t help you, they will contact Andoo Toran. He is the Master of the Wizard’s Council.”
“Then I don’t want to go there,” Nails said.
“What Reese said is true, Nails,” Brayson added. “You need some help controlling what is happening in your hands.”
“No!” Nails barked and sparks flew between his fingers. “I never want to see Andoo Toran.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Brayson wondered about that, but they had been together long enough that he recognized when Nails was not going to say anything more. He would ask him later when they had some privacy and Nails was calmer.
“I know of a woman at Crosstown whose connection to the Mother is so strong that flowers bloom at her feet,” he offered. “She could probably help.” If she’s in a stable mood, he thought. “If we could sail to Gore with you, we could travel to Crosstown from there.”
The breeze had partially filled the sail as they talked, and Reese was easing the boat along with little windage.
“How does that sound, Nails?”
“Sure, we can do that, if Reese agrees.”
“Fine with me,” she announced. Reese adjusted the sail, and the boat picked up speed.
“Was that a bag of food you brought aboard?” She asked
“Yes, and I would love some food,” Brayson said.
“I could eat,” Reese added.
“Me too,” Remi and Nails both agreed.
Brayson started pulling bread, cheese and sausage from the sailcloth bag and handing it out. Soon, everyone was busy eating. Reese and Remi shared Reese’s seat at the stern while Brayson and Nails sat on the bottom of the boat with their backs against the sides. While they ate, Brayson spoke quietly to Nails.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry we had to leave the village. I know how much you liked it there.”
“I won’t mind if I can get rid of this magic. It scares me, Brayson.”
“I understand. The thing that happened to the Wave Splitter was more than just scary.”
“I feel terrible about it,” Nails said. “Many of those men were my friends, and now they’re gone.”
“I know Nails, but they would have hurt us if they could. Think about it that way.”
“Do you think the woman at Crosstown will be able to help me?”
“I think so. As I said, her connection to the Mother is the strongest I have seen, but I should mention that she becomes unstable sometimes.”
“Does her magic go wild like mine did?”
“No, she becomes angry, extremely angry. She almost killed me when I was there,” Brayson explained.
“Why?”
“I cannot say for sure, but I believe it was because of something I said. The Prince, Fairchild, told me she experienced something during the Destroyer War that unhinged her. She was nice to me most of the time while I was there, but one day she just went crazy and almost killed me.”
“Are you sure you want to go back? What if she tries again? I don’t want to see you hurt,” Nails said.
“I will be careful this time. Now that I know how she is. Last time I had no idea. She scared me so much I left.”
“I don’t blame you. Magic scares me too.”
“I have a little magic of my own,” Brayson admitted. “Most mixed-bloods do. It comes with our faerie blood.”
“What is a mixed-blood? It’s a new word to me. Is it like crossbreed?”
“Exactly. Mixed-blood is a more acceptable term for my kind, but the words mean the same thing, a union of one of the Faerie race with one of the race of Men. My mother is a far darrig, a faerie. I have never met my father.”
“That doesn’t sound like much of a loss if he took advantage of your mother.”
Brayson laughed. “My mother has siren blood and she uses it. She seduced my father. She loves to tell the story, and you have to laugh when she tells it. That story is why Adel—that is the name of the woman at Crosstown—got angry. I am sure she overheard me telling my mother’s story just before she attacked me. Adel and my father were lovers before she found out about me. She was even friends with my mother.” Brayson fell silent as he thought about his mother and Crosstown. Nails yawned and stretched which made Brayson do the same, and then Reese and Remi followed.
“I need to sleep,” Reese announced.
“Yes, we were awake all night. A little rest is a good idea,” Brayson said.
“That is Delving Island over to starboard,” Reese told them. “I will find us a small stretch of beach to run up on.”
Reese found a safe harbour for her ship and grounded it on the beach. Above the sand, there was a patch of grass where they could rest. The girls were arguing quietly about something. Finally, both of them walked over and stood in front of Brayson and Nails.
“We will both have our weapons close to hand and I am a light sleeper, if you get my meaning,” Reese stated.
“You can trust us,” Brayson said.
“Trust is earned.” Remi replied.
***
Nails felt the warm sunlight on his face. For a few moments, he wondered why he had fallen asleep outside instead of inside the hut before he remembered what had happened. He sat up and looked around. Brayson had a small fire going down on the sand, but both girls were still sleeping. They looked peaceful. Remi was curled up beside Reese, who had her arm placed pro
tectively across the smaller girl. He wondered if they were lovers. He knew from the pleasure house that some women preferred other women over men. It made no difference to him. He had met nice and nasty people with all kinds of mating preferences. Nails did hope Reese liked men though. He had never thought about having a girlfriend before, but when he first saw Reese, he found he reacted to her. Maybe it was because she was so tall. He could look her straight in the face, which was something he could do with few people. He got up as quietly as he could manage and walked to the fire. Brayson had fashioned a bowl out of bark and had something simmering on the coals.
“Is that a fish stew?” Nails asked, his mouth already watering.
“Yes,” Brayson said. “Jumped right into my hands.”
He smiled. “You’re a lucky fisherman. I never catch anything.”
“Many faerie folk are able to influence animals. It seems that I got more than pointed ears from being half-faerie; I can also influence animals. We are all part of the Mother.”
“What have your ears got to do with being half faerie?” Nails asked.
“Our ears are pointed at the top. You must have noticed that.”
“I noticed, but I never thought about it.”
“That is what I like about you, Nails. You accept everyone as they are.”
“Speaking of likes and loves, do you think Reese and Remi are that way? More than just friends, I mean.”
“I haven’t thought about it. Do you think they are?”
Nails considered it. “They are snuggled up quite closely.”
“True. Does the idea of girl with girl bother you?”
“No, but I like Reese. I think I want her to be my friend.”
“You think?”
“My body is telling me that I like her...I think...I don’t really know. I have never been with a woman in that way.”
“But you would like to be with Reese?” Brayson asked.
“I think so, after I get rid of the magic.”
“Yes, with the way you react to excitement, waiting until the magic is gone would be wise. Asking her how she would feel about men might not be a good idea either until she knows you better and trusts you. Trust is a big part of relationships.”
“That smells good,” Remi said as she came up to the fire, surprising Nails because he hadn’t heard her approach. She moves quietly, he thought.
“Fish stew,” Brayson told her. “I made a couple of bowls and we have a little bit of bread left.”
Nails looked to where they had slept and saw that Reese was awake also. She was combing through her strawberry-coloured hair with her fingers, and he watched her until she came down to the fire. Soon, they were all eating stew and Brayson was brewing mint tea.
The sun was just a hand-span above the horizon when they were back in the schooner—as Reese called her boat—and on their way towards Gore again. Nails was sitting close to Reese. He wanted to talk to her, but a topic wasn’t coming to mind. Finally, he started asking questions about the ship. It was an exceptional vessel for its size, large enough for two people of his build to lay out lengthways, with a single removable mast, and a rectangular-shaped sail. A bench at the stern provided a place to sit, and a number of ropes terminated close to the bench allowing one person to steer and operate the sail. A second bench at midship was for rowing. What impressed him was the workmanship of all the joints and woodwork he saw. The person who built it took pride in their craft.
“This is a nice boat,” he said.
“My father is a ship builder.”
Nails looked for something else to talk about and noticed a pendant hanging around her neck on a rawhide thong. It was an oblong-shaped stone, nothing fancy or elaborate, but it drew his attention. It also made him feel hungry. The rawhide was long enough to allow the stone to hang as if pointing at her breasts. Nails didn’t mind looking at it.
“That is an interesting pendant,” he said.
“It belongs to my father,” Reese told him. Her hand went to the stone. “He insists I wear it when I sail. It is far darrig in origin, and has the ability to keep a person warm, among other things.”
“What else does it do?”
“It allows the wearer to speak with dragons.”
Nails laughed. The look Reese gave him contained no humour. Obviously laughing about something her father had told her was not advisable.
“Your father sounds like a man with many skills.”
“He had an interesting life before he settled down.”
“How long will it take to get to Gore?” he asked. Reese looked at the darkening sky before she answered.
“The weather looks good, so we can sail late. I was hoping to make it to the closest tip of Pointer Island tonight. My mother showed me a harbour there that will keep us safe and unseen.”
“There are lots of places to anchor in the Chimney Islands.”
“Too many pirates in the Chimneys for my liking.”
“Yes, the Wave Splitter use to sit in between two islands waiting for ships they could attack.” Reese gave him a questioning look. “Is something wrong?” he asked.
“My impression was that you were with the pirates for only a short time. Was I wrong?”
“This was our third raiding season.”
“You were with the pirates for three seasons? I thought you were forced into it and wanted to escape...” Reese’s voice suggested she was upset.
“We were forced into it, but the life was good. Plenty of food. The rowing was hard, but it was much better than being a slave chained to the bench.”
“The life was good! How can you say that? You were killing people and stealing their livelihood. That isn’t good in any way.”
“We just rowed. We didn’t kill anyone unless they tried to kill us.”
“You mean when they tried to protect their ship from being taken?”
“We stayed out of the fighting if we could.” Nails didn’t think she was being fair. He never wanted to hurt anyone.
“So for three raiding seasons, you and your friend simply helped row the ship and only fought when you were attacked.”
“Yes.” Now she was seeing it correctly.
“Remi told me you charged her when no one else would attack her. She didn’t attack you. Your actions mock your words.”
“I didn’t want to attack her. Brayson asked me to.”
“So you just did what he asked?”
“He is my friend.”
“You should find a different friend if this one makes you do terrible things.” Nails held his head down, unable to meet her eyes. “I am trying to make a new friend.”
“Well don’t look in my direction.”
Nails was upset as he crawled back to the centre bench where Brayson and Remi sat. Remi stopped talking as soon as Nails arrived, and then excused herself to sit with Reese.
“She doesn’t like me either,” Nails complained.
“It sounded as if you and Reese were arguing. Did you say something to make her mad?”
“She asked me how long we were with the pirates, and then got mad when I answered. I tried to explain that you and I only fought when we were attacked, but she didn’t listen. I don’t think she likes pirates.”
“Many people, especially sailors, dislike pirates.”
“So let’s not tell anyone else we were pirates, okay?”
“I think that is a very good idea, Nails.” They sat together without talking for a while, each lost in his own thoughts until Brayson asked a question.
“Why did you get upset about asking for help from Andoo Toran? He is a very powerful wizard. If anyone can advise you about your magic, he can.”
“Andoo Toran is my uncle,” Nails said.
“Then why not see him about your magic?”
“He wants me dead.”
“Why would your uncle want you dead?”
“I don’t know, but he told Magga, the woman who
took care of me, to kill me.”
Brayson stared at Nails. “If a wizard wants you dead, they usually don’t ask your caregiver to do it. How did you come by this information?”
“Magga and her friend left me on a small island in the Chimneys. They took me there in her friend’s ship. We were searching for treasure in the caves. Well, I was searching where they told me to, but I came out of a cave and they were back on the ship and sailing away. I called to her. She looked at me, and then called back that Andoo wanted me gone.”
“Maybe she expected someone on the island to look after you.”
“It was a very small island. No one lived there. If Toto and Brunt hadn’t found me, I would have starved.”
“I think there are facts missing from your story,” Brayson said after a while. “My mother knew Andoo Toran. She spoke highly of him. So did the people at Crosstown.”
“You could be right. Magga didn’t like me much, but I don’t want to be standing in front of Andoo Toran if you’re wrong.”
***
Brayson had enjoyed talking with Remi. She told him she was spending her summer with Reese, who was a dear friend, and that she was twelve years old. She asked how old he was, and then told him that the difference between her twelve and his fifteen was not too much.
“Too much for what?” he had asked.
“To be friends,” she said. “Close friends.”
Knowing that she was his half-sister, Brayson thought that being a close friend would be fine, but after she went aft to sit with Reese, it came to him that she might mean something different. He was his mother’s son and some of her siren-infused blood flowed through him. He had never used it to take advantage of a woman. Girls found him desirable—he learned that at Crosstown— although he had never felt interested in them. He decided he would have to explain their kinship to her, but the chance never presented itself. The two women suddenly maintained a cold distance from Nails and him. When they stopped at a sheltered bay on the tip of Pointer Island, conversation was restricted to just what was necessary to secure the ship.
