Piracy Upon the Sea

Brigid

As it turned out, I didn't get to speak with my sister until night had fallen. Oisin had taken first watch, and so the pair of us were readying ourselves for sleep at the same time.

"Siofra?" I said softly, as she awkwardly rubbed her sore back.

"Yes?" She looked up, trying to smile.

"What did you say to Anchorless?"

She scowled, though it seemed to be more of the memory of her meeting than it was at my question. Or, at least, I hoped it was.

'Nothing he listend to." She replied bitterly.

"Siofra..."

"It doesn't matter, ok?" She snapped. "Just go to sleep, will ya? They'll be waking you up to take over from Oisin before you know it."

I sighed, and turned over on my bench, so that my back was to her. "It matters if you offend him." I muttered. "You know how quick they are to get rid of people. I don't want you..." I couldn't finish the sentence.

"Don't you worry about me." She told me grimly. "You just work on keeping Oisin enchanted, and we'll be fine."

"What?" I frowned. I had to turn over and look at her, to make sure she was being serious. To my astonishment, there was a flicker fo a smile playing on her lips.

"Just keep doing what you're doing, alright?" She sighed, and when she next spoke, her tone was much softer. "We're not going ot be stuck here forever, Brigid. You mark my words, we're not."

Amelia

"Where are we going now?" The boy asked as we left the tavern, traversed the sewer and returned to the streets. The sun was beginning to fall behind the horizon and the town was surrounded by a pleasant, rosy glow.

"I am going to get myself a new ship and a crew," I replied.

"Okay. I'm going to come with you," The boy grinned cheekily. I paused and turned to face him.

"What makes you think that?" I asked.

"I'll make a good pirate," He replied. "And I'm currently carrying two of your pretty jewels." He grinned again and fished one out from a pocket. It was a large diamond but it caught the light and a red glow filtered through to the street.

"Put that away you fool. It was only stolen a year ago, do you want to get caught?"

Brigid

"Siofra," I tried weakly. Freedom was nice. In fact, freedom was great, there was nothing I wanted more...except for my last living sister to stay living.

"yes?" She asked, almost defiantly.

"Just...don't do anything rash, ok?As soon as we make port," I lowered my voice even further, so that she had to lean in to hear, "we'll leave, I promise, but we'll have to be tactful about it."

"Fine." she said, her voice expressionless, and I couldn't help but wonder whether she had something else in mind. "You know," she said eventually, "I bet you could manipulate Oisin."

It was a struggle not to laugh. "Sure. Manipulate pirates. That's going to happen!"

"Try." She whispered, then, seeing my face, added, "You know we'd be much safer if he was involved."

"You mean tell him?" She was made. Stone raving mad.

She shook her head. "I'm sure that's not the only way"

I opened my mouth, begining to see what she was getting at, but too uncertain and horrified to put it into words.

"Goodnight Brigid.' She smiled sweetly, and turned her back on me.

Amelia

"Fine," I muttered. "You can clean the decks." The boy grudgingly agreed under the condition that he got his own sword and then I led him through various taverns in search of a decent ship.

"Yer want teh be talkin' teh Skippy o'er there," One pirate declared indicating a rather shabby looking old man with dark, greasy hair and a broad frame.

"That right?" I responded, flipping a coin into his palm.

"Yeh," He replied. I shrugged and crossed to the man's table. Skippy looked up at me with sharp, grey eyes and grunted as I swung into a seat across from him before casting those pieces of flint back to his drink.

"You got a ship?" I asked.

"Yes," He replied in a sorrorful voice, not meeting my gaze.

"You selling?" I prompted.

"Yes," He sighed.

"How much?"

"You can have her," He answered.

"Is she sea worthy?" I asked suspiciously.

"That she be."

"Then why no price?" He chuckled but the voice was devoid of all humour and finally he looked up again.

"No one will sail with old Captain Skipper and what's a ship worth without a crew I ask you?"

Brigid

"Siofra!" I hissed. "What are you up to?"

She didn't answer, but I knew that she was just feigning sleep. I sighed in exasperation, tempted to throw something at her, but that would make too much noise, and I didn't want anyone storming in on us.

Frustrated, I allowed myself to fall into a restless sleep. I didn't feel any bit rested when Oisin shook me awake to take over on watch. His arm lingered on my own for a moment after I'd opened my eyes. Trusting my sister for no reason I could name, and maybe beginning to understand what she was getting at, I didn't brush his fingers away as I would otherwise have done.

"Your turn, girl." He told me, not bothering to whisper. I was about to shush him, afraid that he'd wake Siofra, but thought better of it. Wordlessly, I got to my feet and followed him out to the watch position. He pressed his telescope into my hands. "Make sure you're attentive." He warned gruffly. "We're not the only ones in these waters."

I nodded, and tightend my hairscarf before taking positon and raising the telescope to my eye. Oisin watched me, and I felt his eyes on my back for a long moment before he beagn to walk away. Only when I was sure that I was gone did I turn.

Amelia

"It aint worth nothing," I replied with a thoughtful nod.

"Aye. Not worth nothing," Skippy sighed.

"I'll take it then," I decided. With a shrug, he handed me the key but I did not release his hand straight away. Instead, I shook it solemly and then let go.

"What yer do that fer?" He asked.

"Welcome aboard. We sail at dawn," I replied with a half smile.

"Really?" Skippy exclaimed, those grey eyes sparking like two pieces of flint.

"Nah," I answered. "Dawn's too early but with a little hope it wont be too much later than that."

I exited the tavern, the boy close at my heels and headed towards the dock to search for a crew.

"Why?" The boy asked. "Why give that guy a job?"

"He's experienced," I replied with a shrug. "And besides, we look after our own."

Brigid

There was absolutely nothing of note to be seen. The dark waters surfed freely, and the odd seagull flew overhead, but other than that, all was still. I knew that Oisin was right about us not being the only one in the waters, but just then, it was hard to believe him. Land wasn't yet in sight and I felt like we were just drifting aimlessly.

I sighed. Boredom gave too much space to Thought. Siofra, it seemed, would not be deterred from whatever it was that she was doing, and I had a horirble feeling about it. I needed to think of a way to distract her from it, or stop her from carrying it out, whatever it was. It was, howver, easier said than done. How much of a diversion can you create while stranded on a ship in the middle of the ocean?

I considered asking Oisin to watch her, but I wasn't sure quite where his loyalties lay. Sure, he'd do it for me, but that wasn't to say that he'd hesitate to chuck her overboard the second she started becoming difficult. I needed to get her off the ship before she could do herself any damage. But land was nowhere in sight.

Amelia

While the boy was musing over my words, obviously having difficulty with the concept of a pirate looking after others, I talked to a few of the people at the dock.

"The Seeker's Quest still the best place to find a crew?" I asked one man.

"Tha' be dependin' on what sort o' crew you be lookin' fer lass," He replied.

"Thanks for the help," I answered, already heading in the direction of the inn. This was the one place where you could get yourself a bed for the night but where there was no alcohol on the premises. After all, who wanted to employ a drunk pirate and what pirate could resist the temptation of alcohol under the same roof?

I entered and glanced around. Sitting at the table were various men. Some bearded, some clean shaven, some tall and some short, interspersed with women - fat and thin, clean and dirty. I walked upto one in the middle of the room and already all their eyes were on me, noting the three corner pirate hat and the confident swagger of a pirate not out of work.

Brigid

I was drifting off to sleep when I felt a hand of my shoulder. Terrified, I snapped my eyes open and raised my telescope to my left eye. There was a coarse laugh from behind me. Recognising it well now after so long, I turned.

"Relax." Oisin grinned. "I won't tell."

I frowned. "You won't?" This was unusual. I'd seen people being thrown overboard for much less than this.

"I won't." He assured me. This, however, worried me far more. Was he storing the information to get me into far worse trouble later? Or was he simply going to deal with me himself? Seeing my uncertainty, he laughed again, and tugged one of my black curls. "You think I don't have a plan, girl?" He shook his head. "Go wake your sister, you've been here long enough."

Amelia

"I'll work for three coppers an hour!" One man shouted, springing to his feet.

"Oh but I'll work for two!" Another countered.

"Tha's nothin' cos I'll work for one copper a day!" One black haired woman proclaimed. I pushed my way past them all, wrinkling my nose at the bad smell, until I reached the back of the Tavern and found a small table.

"State yer business," The woman drawled, a scribe's pen in her hand and faded parchment upon the desk.

"Looking to hire good pirates," I told her, placing two coins beside her hand. "The name's Captain Amelia."

"You got a ship?" She asked.

"Aye. And gold."

"You want to pick them yourself? Or should I assign a few?"

"I'll pick them. But I'll be wanting a room first. It might take me a few days." The woman nodded and made some notes on the piece of paper.

"Hey, she's not even writing!" The boy declared before I had a chance to elbow him in the ribs. The woman raised an eyebrow.

"His father thought he'd make a scholar out of him," I explained with a shrug. "But I'm gonna train him to be a pirate if it's the last thing I do."

"Make yer mark here," The woman commanded. I signed beside her ileegible marks and then headed upstairs.

Brigid

I hesitated. I always hated waking her, not for the sake of wanting her to sleep. We'd become used to disrupted nights by now. Indeed, I would have thought myself quite unable to sleep a whole night without naturally waking. No, in sleep, I could be assured that she was safe, and not tempting Anchorless to be thoroughly rid of her.

Still, I couldn't be disobidient, and so I rushed across the deck to where she slept, and, crouching by her side, shook her gently by the shoulder.
"Siofra! Wake up! "

She groaned, and rolled over, her eyes flickering open. 'Brigid? What's happening?"

I smiled in spite of myself at her disorientation. "Nothing. Your turn to take watch, that's all."

She nodded, and dragged herself to her feet. I made to escort her to her post, but she shook her head. "You sleep. You can barely keep your eyes open!"

I smiled gratefully before warning her to be good, and settling down to sleep myself. I wasn't sure as to how well I was listened to though as, come morning, she took me to one side, Oisin at her shoulder, as Anchorless made arrangments for the day ahead.

"I think," she told me, her shining eyes in contrast to her level tone, "that we may just have a plan." I frowned, at cast as inconspicuos a look as I could towards Oisin, who laughed.

"You think I'm not in on it? Up well into the morning I was, talking it over with this one here. No, we play our cards right and I should benefit well."

"And if we don't?" I challenged, uncertain as to how good a plan my reckless sister and a sefl-interested, uneducated pirate could devise.

"Overboard we go." He replied with a shrug.

"Can't run a ship without a crew." Siofra grinned.

Amelia

The first day the pickings were very slim and I found only one additional member to our crew, fulfilling the placement of cook. As I headed back down to the common room, I hoped that the second day would be more successful.

"You wont regret this, captain," The tall, blond woman promised in a silky voice, already packing her belongings with the intention of moving them to the ship. A voice like that often meant trouble but I like to think myself a fair judge of character and I got the impression that she wasn't the type to cause trouble. There again, why was she out of work? I made a mental note to find out before nodding and settling at one of the less crowded tables. As soon as I took my seat, the men and women visibly straightened, all trying to look like the perfect candidates. I dismissed more than half of them with a first glance. One caught my eye though.

He was shorter than I would have liked but broad and bulging with muscles. A cutlass hung at his belt and his eyes were concentrated upon a pistol that he was loading.

"You shot anythin' recently?" I asked. He nodded.

"Got me a couple o' them mercenary men." It was a statement rather than a boast and that caught my attention.

"What range?" I queried.

"Couple of metres."

"Want to show me what else you can do?" Suddenly his head jerked up as if he had just realised who I was, as if he had just noticed that I was a captain looking for men. I thought he'd blow it. I thought he's do some miraculous transformation into the 'perfect candidate' but he merely nodded and pushed his chair back.

Brigid

I knew that what Siofra said was logical. However, I also knew that Anchorless wouldn't neccessarily be inclined towards logic.

"This is crazy." I whispered. "There's too much at stake here..."

Oisin grinned. "He can't grab all of us at once, Brigid."

"And what about the extra hands?"I challenged. We had new boys on the ship every so often, after a raid or a capture, or after one of our rare visits to land. They never lasted long, but there were always a couple running around.

Siofra laughed, and pushed her black hair behind her shoulder. "They've been planning a mutiny for months! Just don't have the know-how to coordinate it! It will be easy to get them on side."

I shuddered. I didn't like the idea of so many people knowing. It made it all the more likely that it would get back to Anchorless. It was very difficult to keep anything secret on a ship.

"I don't think this is a good idea." I warned them.

Oisin smiled at me, and slipped his arm aorund my waist. "I know you want to get off this ship, Brigid love. Now's your chance. If we go down, we go down fighting."

"Hear hear!" Siofra pumped her fist in the air.

I pressed my face into my hands. This was not good.

Amelia

"Good stance," I complimented the man as he began pulling daggers from his belt. He nodded calmly as he chose his blade and then he threw it. I did not need to watch the dagger soar through the air to know that it was a good throw. But for the sake of certainty, I turned to see that it had travelled a very reasonable distance and was quivering in the side of a building at the other side of the docks.

"Too far left," the man mumbled, his face wrinkling in disappointment. And yes, it was a touch to the left but it had been a long time since I'd met a pirate or any man for that matter who could throw so straight.

"Welcome aboard, first mate," I congratulated him.

"Perhaps," he replied, "but first let's see how good the captain is." I'd been expecting that. There had to be a reason that e didn't have a crew yet and it stood to reason that he was looking for a worthy captain.

"May I?" he offered me a dagger and I turned it over once or twice, noting the nicks and the weak blade. Most wouldn't be able to throw that more than a metre in this wind, never mind in a straight line. With a small smile to him, I launched it through the air and was satisfied when it hit the exact same building. Admittedly it was a few inches too low and a good half inch to the right but the man nodded and we shook hands.

Brigid

Siofra and Oisin spent most of the remainder of the night planning feeble strategies. I offered to take over watch for both of them in turn, just to split them up, but they just laughed. Frustrated, I stalked off and tried to sleep, but it was ineffective.

The next morning heralded a flurry of activity. "About to make port." One of the extra hands told me as he hurried to check the mast.

"Great." I murmered flatly.

"It is great." He replied, obviously put out by my lack of enthusiasm. He moved closer, looking at me carefully. "Siofra's sister, right?"

I nodded. "But I'm having no part in this, and you shouldn't either. If I have my way..."

He frowned. "So you like being forced to work then?' He rolled up his sleeve, so I could see a series of deep gashes which ran all down his left arm. "It's impossible to please here.No one seems to get that wounding us will just make us work even slower." He shook his head. "Days are numbered in a life like this, and I'm damned if I'm about to settle for that. Did you know that I was on a ship before this? Ya, I'm not one of the town captives like Mick or Wood. You can tell, so you can." He rolled his shoulders like one accustomed to hard labour. "They're not gonna last long." It was a fact rather than a tragedy.

"Neither are you if you start causing trouble." I looked over the side of the ship at the dark waters below, and wondered how many water-logged, bloated corpses they concealed.

My plan was being destroyed, after all my waiting. If we had made port under normal circumstances, Siofra and I would have had a better chance of slipping off unnoticed. Now we seemed to be in the midst of a revolution doomed to failure.

He looked at me seriously, with the hardened eyes of one who had seen too much. "I'm a dead man anyway. But I'll be damned if I don't go down fighting."