Regrets of The Fallen (Victis Honor Book 1) (17 page)

Isabella looked at Haruka, receiving a nod after which she smiled at Freya. “That would be nice, actually. I’ll just change into clothes without blood on them…”

“Tha’s such a problem,” Freya said with an exasperated sigh. She flashed them a grin before leaving.

Haruka looked at Isabella. “It’s looking up,” she said optimistically.

Isabella smiled. “Maybe we’ve found a bit of good luck, for once.” She was more right than she knew.

“Everybody dies, girls, an’ I intend to deserve it!”

Captain Freya Black leaned forward, clasping her hands in front of her. “So… Tyne sold you out but you saw it comin’. Y’killed the assassins, then fought off Tyne’s crew an’ killed Tyne, then killed the rest o’ the assassins, who were all Black Sun?”

Isabella laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head. “I guess it’s a bit hard to believe...”

Freya leaned back in her chair and shrugged. “You’d be surprised what I’d believe.”

They were in Freya’s office, which was located at the stern of the ship just below the tiller, the topmost room. It was a very nice office with a mahogany desk and three wooden chairs that were furnished with red felt (which were incredibly comfortable with the backs at a slightly leaned angle encouraging relaxation). There was a cot against one wall, simple but with nice sheets and blankets. The walls drew the eye most, however; every wall was nearly covered with all manner of trophies and decoration
: strange fish Isabella had never seen (and some even Haruka was unfamiliar with), the heads of two odd animals and a vast assortment of weapons (swords, knives, spears, bows, axes, curved blades, whips, and some that neither could even fathom the use of). Multiple flags hung from various spots, pieces of armor were displayed proudly (especially helmets), several pieces of wood for some reason, pieces of art from paintings to abstract creations, the end of a black tentacle, a pair of tan boots, several watches, two compasses, a measuring device neither had seen before, and many other items also covered the walls. Isabella felt like she’d have to spend hours in here just to understand a tenth of the items she saw.

Freya chuckled, watching the two look around. Haruka was more subtle about it, simply curious, but Isabella seemed in awe and openly looked in all directions. “Anythin’ ya got questions about?”

Isabella looked at her with wide eyes. “So many,” she said in a subdued voice, drawing a laugh from Haruka. “I get the weapon collection… The fish make sense, too, as do the animals… What’s with the flags?”

“They’re from ships I’ve taken down or ports I’ve taken over. Th’ planks are from ships where I couldn’t find
th’ flags.”

“That was my next question.” Isabella turned around in her seat. “What’s the tentacle?”

Freya grinned. “Kraken.” Haruka’s eyes widened and Freya winked at her. “
You
know what I’m talkin’ about.”

“I haven’t heard much about the ocean,” Isabella responded. “What’s a kraken?”

“One o’ the kings o’ sea beasts. Mass o’ tentacles goin’ every which way,” Freya explained as she moved her arms around to simulate the appearance. “Giant maw in th’ middle. Thing shouldn’t exist, but does. Usually a death sentence fer a ship, but no’ mine. Tha’s my proof,” she said, pointing at the end of the tentacle. “Bastard tried t’ grab me off my own ship. Cut that off m’self. It’s only the tip, though; the tentacles themselves are bigger than most ships.”

“I can see why you’d keep a trophy from an encounter like that,” Bella said. “I have one thing like that…” Isabella twisted the end of her sword, removing the pommel. She tilted the sword and pulled a white object from inside the hilt, holding it up.

Freya leaned forward. “…Is that a dragon tooth?”

“The tip of one. I chipped it off myself,” she said, showing the broken end of it.

Haruka smiled. “Killed it herself.”

Freya took the tooth, inspecting it. “You’re sayin’ ye took down a dragon yerself, an’ took a piece o’ tooth as a trophy?” Freya looked at the blue-haired knight. “Ain’t many that’ll believe that, but I’ve ‘eard a lotta tall tales an’ fanciful stories in my time, an’ I know when one’s true. Ya got my respect.”

Isabella caught the tooth as it was tossed back to her. “Thank you. What about Haruka?”

“You’re askin’ if she ‘as my respect?” Freya snorted. “She got it when I saw ‘er.” She met Haruka’s gaze. “Black Sun doesn’t play around. I am surprised t’see one runnin’… Especially a Saito.”

Haruka looked to the side. “Father won’t let go.”

“Why d’ya want ‘im to? If y’ don’t mind my askin’.” Haruka hesitated, looking at Isabella. Freya sat back, nodding. “I got it. Chose t’go with ‘er, eh? Crazy decision. Just crazy.” Freya grinned. “I like crazy.”

“Thanks. I think.”

Isabella leaned forward. “You’re really just helping us because it’s a bad idea?”

“Course. Why not?” Freya laughed. “I like adventure. Sounds fun. I ‘ope more catch up b’fore y’leave. Where’re we takin’ ya, anyway?”

They looked at each other and Bella answered for them. “We didn’t really have a destination in mind… Just, ‘away’.”

Freya scratched her chin. “That right?” She leaned forward, setting her arms on her desk. “I gotta nephew… I could take you to ‘im. It’d be a good idea.”

Isabella tilted her head. “Why? Who is he?”

Freya glanced at Haruka. “Dalgus Bloodmoon.”

Haruka blinked. “The Howling General…?”

Freya grinned. “Same one. ‘E’s my nephew. I guess not many know that. Point is, he’d ‘elp.”

Haruka looked at her confused friend. “Mercenary general,” she explained. “Honorable one.”

“Yeah, ‘e kinda went a different way, not sure ‘ow ‘e turned out so well with me raisin’ ‘im,” Freya said with a snicker. “Black Sun would ‘ave a ‘ard time gettin’ t’you through two thousand mercs.”

“I don’t particularly want to be a mercenary,” Isabella said thoughtfully, “But it would be a good place temporarily.”

Haruka nodded. “I’ll trust him.”

“It’s a good call. We gotta couple
weeks b’fore we’re there, though.”

Isabella smiled. “That’s fine. I wasn’t quite done enjoying sailing, and this ship is
much
more enjoyable already.”

“I try
t’be a good host,” Freya said with a grin.

IXH

On the deck, one pirate was approaching another while looking back over his shoulder. He was a somewhat portly fellow with a rounded nose, shorter than average which he made up for by wearing three hats on top of each other. “Hey, Byron,” he said, addressing his much taller, thinner companion, who had a more pointed nose and thin mustache. “You seen our new passengers?” He grinned. “Been watchin’ ‘em m’self.”

Byron was busying himself by adjusting ropes, rolling his eyes as he heard the other’s comments. “Sure, Grits, that doesn’t make you sound creepy at
all
.”

Grits (full name Griswold; his nickname was thanks to his position as ship’s cook) looked offended as he slid back a step. “I’m not bein’ creepy! Can’t a guy admire a view?”

“From a distance.” The voice directly behind him made him jump, and he spun to see Freya’s grin inches away.

“Cap’n! I wasn’t… I mean, I was
jus’ sayin’…”

“I ‘eard what you were sayin’,” Freya said as she smacked the side of his head, knocking off two hats. “Where’re yer manners, eh? Besides, those two would break you.”

“Really?” he said, looking intrigued.

Byron shook his head and muttered something under his breath. Freya sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. “Not
that
way, y’ great buffoon. They’re fighters. The one in green’s Black Sun.”

Grits paled a bit. “Oh. What about the other one…?”

Freya rubbed her chin. “That one I know less about, but I’d be careful ‘round ‘er, too. The sword at ‘er side ain’t for show.” Grits looked down dejectedly and she snickered, patting his head. “No worries, now. We’ll dock soon an’ you can meet a nice girl there.”

“A nice girl he can pay for?” Byron said over his shoulder.

“What else?”

“Cap’n, that’s a bit mean…” Grits suggested meekly.

“A bit mean? A
bi
t mean?!” A few other pirates glanced over with wide grins as Freya grabbed the back of Grits’ brown vest, hauling him up despite his flailing. “I’ll show you a bit mean!”

“
Nononononononononono-“ She heaved him over the side of the ship. “Sooooorryyyyyy-“

As she heard the splash she dusted her hands off. “Somebody throw ‘im a rope b’fore ‘e drowns.”

There was a chorus of laughs as Grits was pulled back up on deck, sputtering. “Lesson learned,” he stated, “but dinner found!” he proclaimed proudly as he raised a fish in one hand, eliciting another chorus of laughs and cheers from the crew.

Freya noticed Isabella watching from further down the deck. She went over to her, leaning on the rail beside her. “You’re lookin’ confused there, Izzy.”

Isabella blinked and gave her a smile. “Sort of. This ship really is different from the other one. Although, I’ve only ever been on the two, so maybe every ship is different.”

“Aye, that’d be the case. Tyne was a bastard, no morals or loyalty.” Freya paused. “I mean, we ain’t got any morals either, but we got loyalty, so that counts, right?”

Bella smiled and shrugged. “It’s enough for me. Even Tyne wasn’t as bad as… Well, I don’t have any right to judge anyone, anyway.”

“Bad past, eh?” Freya nodded back towards the group. “Everyone on board this ship ‘as a bad past. We’re full o’ murderers, thieves, con men, bandits, whatever else y’ wanna throw in, we got it. The difference is, every man ‘ere wants t’be part o’ somethin’. It’s all friends, y’know? An’ friends overlook yer past.”

“I’ve heard some things about pirates, and that doesn’t seem to fit very well with the rest.”

Freya laughed. “Well, we got moods like anyone else. I didn’t get all those flags in my room by bein’ friends with those ships. An’ the title ‘Pirate Queen of the Eastern Seas’ wasn’t earned through saintly actions.”

Isabella nodded. “I guess I’m just having trouble reconciling the murderous pirate thing with being friendly. I suppose I thought it’d be one or the other.”

Freya snorted. “People usually aren’t one or the other.”

“I was.” Bella looked at her. “In my darker days I was just cold and didn’t care about anyone. I
certainly
wasn’t friendly. If I went back to that now it’d be the same way.”

Freya rubbed her chin. “Sounds intense. There’s a difference, though. We’re doin’ what we do ‘cause we like it; it’s fun. What was your reason?”

“I was…” She looked at the ocean. “Lost, I guess. Directionless and letting others direct my actions.”

“Well, there ya go. Sounds like you were
more numb than anythin’. If th’ people directin’ you had chosen other things, you woulda been doin’ those.”

“I don’t know… I was violent even without their orders… Killing was the only time I felt anything.” Isabella sighed, brushing her hair from her eyes. “Things are different now, though.”

Freya looked thoughtful, her blue eyes inspecting the other woman. “Is that ‘cause of th’ monk?”

Isabella smiled. “No… I had changed before meeting her. I’m very glad about that… Still, she’s definitely made things different.”

“How so?”

“I don’t know, she cares. No one else cared. She chose to travel with me instead of staying where she grew up, though I’m beginning to see more reasons behind that which aren’t connected to me.”

“You two seem pretty close.”

“It’s true. It happened pretty fast.” Isabella bit her lip. “I’m kind of scared she’ll be taken, though… or worse.”

Freya shrugged. “Sad truth is, people lose friends all th’ time.”

“Maybe, but this is… different.”

Freya tilted her head. “It’s not jus’ ‘cause she’s yer only friend, is it? You’ve got stronger feelin’s for ‘er.”

Isabella’s eyes widened and she glanced over her shoulder, whispering, “Shh!
Don’t let her hear you say that!”

“Why not?” Freya shrugged. “Seems t’ me she might feel
th’ same way.”

“Really?” Isabella smiled and then shook her head, wiping the expression off her face and looking down. “No… It doesn’t matter. That’s even worse. If she does I’ll have to do something to stop it… Maybe even leave.” She sighed. “I really don’t want to leave.”

Freya scratched her head. “I don’t really get it. What’d be so bad if you like ‘er so much?”

“It’s…” Isabella looked at the horizon. “It just wouldn’t be fair to her, okay?”

Freya raised her hands. “Alright, I give up fer now. I think it’s a mistake, but obviously I don’t know all o’ what’s goin’ on. All I-" An ear-splitting scream cut her off, piercing painfully into the heads of everyone on the ship. Freya, Isabella and the rest of the crew all clapped their hands to their ears to block out the noise.