Traveler (8 page)

Aislin nodded and held her breath as the door was shut and locked with a click.  The name of the ship sounded familiar, somehow, but she couldn’t place it.  She was trapped, here.  With a heavy heart she got dressed into the voluminous dark blue gown that had been set out for her and she sat on the bed.  How was she going to escape this?

***’

The Queen’s Lace was a modest ship, a passenger and trading vessel of middle size, with a suitable hold for about a hundred or so passengers.  As vessels to the islands went, she was well equipped, with enough fresh fruit and salted meat to get them well across the ocean to the unknown shores beyond, unknown, at least, to the majority of the passengers aboard her.  The crew, though...the crew knew these waters well, travelling them many times.  Danger lurked in these waters, danger that presented itself in the form of pirates.  The captain knew this, oh he knew it well, but still he kept quiet to those people he transported belowdecks.  Best to not get them excited and trying to get back their fare once they reached the colonies...best to let them be ignorant.

While most of the passengers were excited to be traveling to a tropical island, there was one who was not happy in the slightest.  At sixteen years old, Brileia Narelleva was on her way to a new home, the manor built especially by the man Lord Silvertongue had chosen to be her husband.  And once there, she would be married and expected to submit to his every whim, a thought that made her shudder visibly.  Still, she was an obedient and dutiful girl, even if she railed against the injustice of it all silently.

It was a man’s world, truly, and Cedric Duhamel, better known as Snake, knew it.  His parents had land and he came from old money--what else could be desired in this world?  Well, there was one thing...but he had been told time and again he would have to wait until they got to their new home for him to claim it. The beautiful woman below-decks did not slip his notice, though.  Every move Bird made, every breath she took, Cedric watched, pining silently for the woman who was supposed to be his, but whom he could not touch until their feet were on island soil.  He had seen the other sailors eyeing her too, their gazes aching and impure.  If he could have killed them all for looking at her, he would have.

Silky raven-black curls swayed freely against her back as the petite girl slowly made her way from her cabin to the deck above, feeling too constrained by the four walls of her room.  Feeling the fresh air brush over her face made her smile softly as she wandered over to the side, peering down at the clear sea below.  As beautiful as the sight was, she inwardly was hoping that they would be delayed in reaching their destination.  The longer they were on this ship, the longer she would be free and safe, and the longer she would have to plan her escape.

Cedric’s eyes, a blue similar to that of the sea, watched Brileia as she made her way across the deck, his gaze a predatory one, trying to figure out the best way to achieve his ultimate goal.  The girl was not an easy one to sway, or to woo.  Her parents had brought her up much too sheltered, shielding her from most of the intentions of men.  Still...he needed to try, while her parents were off on another part of the ship.  His lanky frame, with close-cut blonde hair and  his blue eyes, moved smoothly up after her, leaning on the bow of the ship with her, looking down at the water.  “A beautiful sight it is, no?  Its beauty, though, pales to the one that stands before me.”

Cerulean eyes widened at the sound of her fiance’s voice at her side, his words creating a faint blush over her cheeks.  Oh Gods, when had he joined her on deck?  She lifted her wide eyes to his face, giving the taller man a faint smile.  “It is very pretty...I have never seen its like before.”

Cedric looked down at her with an affectionate smile, though inwardly his desire for her ran unfettered. Gods be good, she was almost his... “The sea, my dear, is endless and full of mystery.  It vexes mankind with the secrets it keeps.  Just like women vex men with their feminine beauty,” he mock sighed.

Small fingers idly tucked an errant curl behind her ear as she looked back at the sea below, her smile brightening for a moment at the sight of dolphins swimming by.  “I do not think the sea and women can be compared.  The sea is...a work of art by a higher power.  Women are simply human beings like any other.”

Cedric looked at her in shock, then reached out and brushed her cheek with a finger.  “That, my dear, is where you are very wrong,” he murmured.  “Women...women are most certainly a work of art by a higher power, and men are only the vessels by which they can be cared for.”

The petite girl shivered slightly at the touch, her eyes widening as she looked up at him again.  She bit her bottom lip shyly, her blush deepening.  “I do not know about that, Snake.  I suppose that I will just have to take your word for it.”

He smiled again, his fingers still brushing the soft skin on her face.  “You are beautiful when you blush, you know that?” he whispered, his eyes smoldering a little with barely disguised lust.

His words drew a soft gasp from Brileia as she found herself caught in his gaze.  “Oh...um...thank you...”

He leaned down a little, then withdrew. “Not here,” he murmured.

She tilted her head slightly, gazing up at him in innocent confusion.  “Not here what?”

“To show you why you are so special,” he murmured.

Brileia blinked in surprise before looking away shyly, not quite certain how to take his words.  How could the man think she was special when he barely knew her at all?

He smiled and offered her his hand.  “Come with me.”

She peered up at her fiance for a moment, curious as to what the man had in mind.  While she may not have wanted to get married to a man she had not chosen herself, Snake had never been anything but a perfect gentleman to her.  Giving him a shy smile, she slid a small hand into his.  “Very well.”

He grinned a little, taking her hand more firmly in his, and leading her belowdecks.  He wanted to see just how far she would let him go...before she stopped him.  Belowdecks was a different world, dark and silent like the grave, but he knew where he would have to take her....and he would need to move quickly.  

Trusting in the gentleman she assumed her fiance to be, Brileia willingly followed him down below deck, her curiosity growing with each step.  She was glancing around quietly, wondering just where he was leading her.  None of this was familiar at all.

“Here is good enough,” he murmured, and began to lead her into a corner.

“Good enough for what? Where are we going?” She asked innocently, peering up at him in curiosity.

“Right here, pet,” he murmured, and leaned down to kiss her.

Her eyes widened in startled surprise before she drew back, small hands pushing hard against his chest.  “Don’t...”

He looked down at her, continuing to push.  “Come, Bird...why else would you have come down here?”

She pushed harder at his chest, a frightened look crossing her pretty face.  “I didn’t think it was for this.  Stop it!”

Cedric chuckled.  “You will be my wife.  There is no point in resisting.”  He tried to press her again.

“I am not your wife yet! You can’t...”  She cried out softly in distress, struggling a bit more before bringing a knee upwards hard.

Cedric let out a huge gust of air, dropping down to his knees hard, doubled over.  “You’ll pay for that,” he gasped.

The trembling girl immediately darted out of his reach, her wide frightened eyes resting solely upon him.  “You are not the gentleman you pretend to be...” She managed to say as she backed away from him before spinning on her heel and hurrying away before he could recover.

Cedric remained on the floor, doubled over, unable to recover from the pain. Gods help him, it hurt!

Brileia didn’t stop running  until she had reached the relative safety of her cabin.  Closing and locking the door tight, she leaned back against it...staring blindly at the bed.

***

A soft sigh echoed through the darkened cabin as the only occupant stared up at the wooden ceiling, unable to sleep even with the massive ship rocking in the waves. The petite girl nibbled on her bottom lip as she idly drummed her fingers against her abdomen before resolutely turning over and pulling the blankets up to her shoulder. Hopefully in the morning they would be that much closer to their destination and this endlessly boring voyage would be over. The ship was in the midst of its journey from her home in the civilized world to the unknown and unexplored island chains, and while Brileia had no objections to the trip itself, she was bored out of her mind by the constraints put upon her by her overbearing parents. And that did not even begin to speak about her frustrations with the overly zealous attentions of the man her parents wished for her to wed. With an exasperated sigh, she pulled the blankets over her head. At least Snake could not bother her in here, even if he had attempted to pull her into a shadowed corner earlier.  Full eyelashes fluttered slightly before she finally began to slip into a sleep, her slight body slowly relaxing.

***

Rahim stood at the helm of his ship The Maiden's Voyage, his hands resting on the wind-worn wood, the smell of salt deep in his nostrils. Gods, he loved the sea, the breeze as it brushed across the deck. The waters in the islands were rich, and plundering was successful nearly every attempt. It had been a rich summer, and the black silk shirt Rahim wore over his tan sea breeches were a testament to that. The neck of his shirt revealed hints of the tribal tattoo that traveled across his back and shoulders.  His dark eyes moved back and forth over the sea, mischievous and alert. Gods, he loved it.

Rahim’s first mate, Luc, also known as Rogue, snapped shut his spyglass with a grin, looked up at the helm to where Rahim leaned and his brown hair whipped around his head, pulled back like the captain’s into a leather thong. "Cap'n! Ship starboard side!" Rahim's lips split into a slow grin. "Well then...let's give her a proper welcome..."  Maybe these people would know the origins of this mysterious mermaid Luc pulled from the depths.  Curious, that.  But for now, he didn’t have time to worry about this new guest aboard his vessel.  He had a ship to plunder and riches to obtain.  

Luc swiftly strung up friendly colors, the flag a black background with a gold snake, tongue out and prominent, moving to make a show of it, a false show of friendship to the other ship before he came in for the kill, so to speak. The ship was large, and her plunder would surely be glorious.

Rahim presented their broadside, the wind whipping through his hair, a grin on his face. Light, it had been nearly two weeks since he had last plundered...and it had been far too long.  He pulled up just close enough, the crew waving genially to the crew on the other ship....giving a false sense of security.

The unsuspecting crew waved back as the other sailing ship drew alongside them, each one going about their business.

Rahim let the flag fall, his eyes hard as he studied the other ship, letting the tattered dragon banner fly. As one, his men stormed the ship, grappling hooks and sabers out in readiness.

Aislin stared up at the ceiling.  Something was going on above her..cheering, shouting, metallic banging against each other...what in the world could be going on?  “Please don’t let me die in this god-forsaken place,” she muttered. “Not before I even find out where I am...”

Rahim stood with Luc, the last two to leave their ship and sail over to the one that would soon join them. Gods, he loved the thrill of this. Luc ran ahead of him, and Rahim moved swiftly, his sword slicing down those who resisted, a wolfish grin on his face. Luc ducked below decks. "I'm going to check the passenger's quarters," he called, and Rahim saw him disappear.

Luc stalked the halls, Rahim close behind him. He had heard voices...and the passenger cabins were more full than they should have been if this was just a cargo ship....there were people here. Luc's sharp ears picked up the slamming of a door, and he motioned for Rah. "In here," he murmured.

Rahim went in first into the cabin, motioning Luc onward when he saw someone in the room, and fast asleep at that.  This was going to be easier than he thought.  
Kill the sleeping occupant, steal the valuables...a perfect heist.
 It gave him pause, though, when he noticed that the occupant of the room was a girl.  A beautiful, raven-haired girl lay sleeping in the bed.  Rahim crept closer, his dark blue eyes studying her in the darkness.

Loose dark curls spilled wildly over the pillows as the bed’s sole occupant slept deeply, unaware of the dangers above.  The cabins of the ship had been magicked, to keep the sleepers inside comfortable and resting despite the noises going on above their heads.  The richly decorated blankets had slipped down towards her waist, revealing the alabaster white of her thin nightgown...the bodice open just enough to hint at the pale flesh beneath.  Her eyelashes were full and dark against her pale cheeks, her lips curved in a faint smile.  Whatever she was dreaming of, it must be something pleasant.

His head was cocked to the side, studying her curiously.  There was something familiar about her, something that called to him.  
A little boy was laughing and holding his hand out to a raven-haired little girl, barely confident enough to run without falling.  They shared adventures, even if only for a day; they shared laughter.  She was his only friend.
 He frowned.  She was long gone by now, married to some lord or another.  This girl just happened to have similar features.  He knelt down at the edge of the bed, trying to decide how best to pick her up to take her with him, and how to do it all without waking her.

A soft murmur escaped the petite girl as she suddenly shifted in her sleep, abruptly facing him as she turned on her side.  Slender fingers opened slightly, a small pendant slipping from her grip. Her smile grew brighter for a moment, another murmur escaping her.  “...my dragon...” The tension seemed to melt away as she seemed to relax even more in his presence, completely unaware that her life was going to change in a major way.