Voidhawk - Lost Soul (17 page)

“Celia!”

Celia yelped, falling away from the rudder sail she’d been working on and landing on her bottom.

“How much longer?” Tasha asked. She felt bad for the girl but their situation wasn’t one that kind words and tenderness would aid.

Celia stood up and rubbed her latest bruise. “I’m all but done. I’ve nailed it in and affixed the sail. This gives us more freedom to use the rudder to aid in maneuvering, but it will require another set of hands.”

“Good, stand at post, we’ve got company headed straight for us.”

Celia gasped. She turned to stare into the void. Tasha was amazed when Celia’s eyes focused on the approaching ship faster than she’d have imagined. “It’s elven,” Celia said.

Tasha nodded. She’d guessed as much from what she’d seen through the spyglass, but even magnified it was too small for her to make out more than that. “Another scout?”

Celia squinted before finally frowning. “It’s an older design, a scout built during militant times. Most of them were destroyed during the battle with the elders.”

“Lucky us,” Tasha admitted. She regretted the words immediately. “We’re bigger
and better armed then.”

“We’re running a skeleton crew, too,” Celia opined.

Tasha offered a thin lipped smile. “You’ll get used to it, now stand your post and make ready.”

Tasha strode down to the deck and called out to the others, warning them of the impending situation. Everyone fell into their roles quickly, leaving her impressed with
their efficiency. The cleaning supplies were stashed away and the ship made ready for battle long before the elven ship was even close enough to share their atmospheres.

“Second Chance?” Tasha muttered. She lowered the spyglass and wondered why an elven ship would have a name like Second Chance carved into its hull. It was undeniably human, both in the carven language and the phrase.

The Voidhawk faced the Second Chance directly, Tasha standing near the Lumberjack in case the vessel was hostile. Moments before the Second Chance breached their bubble a white flag of parley was run up, signaling peaceful intent. Tasha let out a breath and felt the sudden relief threaten to drop her to her knees. Now, at least, they’d get in close enough to deal with a threat hand to hand.

Tasha’s eyes widened. In the rush to ready the ship she’d forgotten to don her armor! She cursed aloud and cast a longing glance at the stairway behind her. A glance at the Second Chance and she knew she’d face this threat without her armor. She was still a formidable warrior, but lacking the armor filled her with a doubt she’d never experienced before.

“Ho Tasha, where’s the Captain?” A voice called across the void, startling her back to attention.

“Rosh?” She gasped aloud, staring at the massive shape standing on the bow of the Second Chance.

* * * *

Rosh stood with a boy on the verge of manhood on the Voidhawk’s deck. He looked around, his eyes taking in the changes here and there and noting the overall condition of the ship. “You seen some action?”

“A few days back now, three elven scouts came at us,” Tasha said. “Wasn’t much of a fight, between the Lumberjack and Xander’s magic.”

“Still got that wizard tagging along?” Rosh grunted.

“Aye, he’s with the Captain and Jenna.” Tasha paused long enough to finish noting the unmistakable familiarity between Rosh and his silent companion. “Who’s this?”

“Koda,” Rosh said, clapping the muscular boy on the back. “Guess he’d be your uncle, a few thousand time removed.”

Koda’s eyes widened as he stared at the dark skinned woman. Koda had no idea that his father had sired a child while the Voidhawk had been sent twelve thousand years in the past to end the elders banishment. He turned to Rosh, “A thousand?”

Rosh smirked. “Long story, but one you got a right to know. Some other time though.”

“Rosh, what are you doing here? How did you find us?”

“Might ask you the same question. I got my own wizard.”

Tasha nodded. “That’s fair. I’ll tell you, but only if you can convince me you’re with us, not against us.”

“Think I liked you more when you was respecting your elders,” he grumbled.

It was Tasha’s turn to smirk. “Rosh, look at you! I’ve seen a lot since we last met, but I’ve never seen anything like you. I expect you could snap an ogre in half!”

Rosh grinned. “Done that a few months back.”

“That’s my point. You look like the paintings and carvings done by my ancestors, like the man who can crush the mightiest of constricting serpents. You’re amazing and terrifying, at the same time. When you left, things weren’t the best between you and the ‘Hawk’s crew.”

Rosh’s his grin slipped as he considered her words, “That’s fair. I learned a lot in my time apart, but that’s for me and Dexter to talk about. Koda’s my son. Mine and Willa’s.”

“That’s impossible!” Tasha snapped without thinking. “He’s what, fifteen, sixteen? Willa’s been gone for six years and you only met her seven years back!”

Rosh shrugged. “The boy’s ma passed on a few months back. She had my son in her when she went sailing through the void, that’s how she survived. It done things to her though, driving her to the edge of death and bringing her back more times than she could count. He’s aged fast ‘cause of that
. It aged her too, when I met her she looked like she’d lived a full life.”

Tasha looked at Koda, noticing for the first time a resemblance to Willa. Especially in his eyes and his pale blond hair. “You’d think nothing would surprise me anymore. Not after I saw you put my prize
wersal down.”

Rosh chuckled. The wersal had been a six legged beast Tasha had used as a mount. It resembled a spotted leopard crossed with a horse. He’d wrestled the creature and killed it to prove he was who he’d claimed he was – the legendary Rosh that her people worshipped as a god. “That was a good fight,” he admitted.

“And now you’ve wrestled ogres as well?”

“Three of ‘em, plus a score or more of goblins.”

Tasha shook her head. “Anyone else I’d think they were lying. No, I’d know they were!”

“I’m here to show Koda who Willa’s friends were. Give him a chance to know more about his ma.”

“We’re your friends too, Rosh.” A new voice said.

Rosh turned his head to see Keshira walking across the deck towards them. He grinned. “’Shira, you look as pretty as ever!”

Keshira smiled, her lips fuller and her stance more suggestive than he remembered. Koda gasped beside his father as the woman approached. “Thank you, Rosh! It’s good to see you. I miss having a strong back at my side on the deck.”

Rosh glanced at the elven woman on the deck, drawing a chuckle. “Aye, seems you’re saddled with a bunch of scrawny elves these days.”

Keshira’s grin widened. Rosh studied her a moment longer. “Something different about you. You’re acting more normal.”

“I’m no longer bonded to the Captain.”

Rosh’s eyes widened. “He broke it? The elders do that or did he figure something else out?”

“That’s for Dexter to tell. But it’s part of why we’re here,” Tasha said before Keshira could respond. “We’re searching for Jianna. She’s been taken.”

“Who?” Rosh’s blank expression mirrored his words.

Tasha let a curse slip out, “You left before. Jianna is Dexter and Jenna’s daughter.”

“Oh,” Rosh said. His eyes went to Koda briefly. “She been taken?”

“Sort of,” Tasha said. She frowned, then nodded as she decided to share more with the patriarch of her line. “A being known as Rolxoth attacked her and stole her soul. He wants Dexter and Jenna to help him in exchange for it.”

Rosh swore, then he swore again. “I remember that faceless bastard! Sheriff of Port Freedom before the elves took I over. He twisted things to make us help him out. Never trusted a man with no face!”

Tasha nodded. “So I’ve heard. It’s killing me, being here. Jia’s…I’ve watched after her while Dexter was gone with the Elven Navy and Jenna was bound by her duty to the throne.”

“Koda, stay with the ‘Hawk,” Rosh said. “Trust Keshira, she knows the ship. Tasha, come back with me to the ‘Chance. We’ll sail to Port Freedom and pull them out of whatever mess he’s got himself in.”

“I can’t! I’m in charge of the ‘Hawk! I can’t just leave it afloat in the void!” Tasha protested.

“Fine, when I find him I’ll let him know you done your job. Koda, stay here.”

“Rosh!” Koda protested. “I don’t know these people!”

“Aye, you don’t, but this’ll do you good. Learn a new ship and meet some new people. Learn how a different ship’s run too.” He turned back to Tasha. “If you won’t come, send Keshira with me. Could use the help sailing the ‘Chance.”

“Bah!” Tasha snorted. “’Shira, can you handle the ‘Hawk?”

“Yes, Tasha,” Keshira said, her eyes wide. “I welcome the chance!”

“Give me a minute, I need my armor,” Tasha said. She scowled at the grinning hulk of a man then turned and strode across the deck.

The elders had enchanted her armor, bestowing a lightness and mobility to it that astounded her. Even more so, she’d found she could don her armor without any help, and do so at a speed impossible before. Because of that, when she emerged from the staircase clad in her gleaming golden hued plate Rosh glanced at her briefly, then looked back and stared.

“You done that fast,” he commented.

Tasha smiled, pleased at the large man’s compliment. “We’ve little time to waste,” she explained.

“Make me proud,” Rosh said to Koda.

The warrior turned and gestured for Tasha to get on the tactical boat he’d crossed to the Voidhawk on, then stepped up onto it behind her. Tasha felt the wood shift under his weight, lending credence to the man’s unnatural size.

“He’ll do good,” Rosh said, staring straight at his son
while he sat on the exposed helm. Koda met his gaze, irritation evident by the set of his jaw and the furrow of his brow. “The boy’s spent his entire life on a ship. Him and Willa sailed the Second Chance by themselves for a piece.”

“They were fortunate,” Tasha said. “
Sailing the void with only a two man crew seems foolish.” The irony wasn’t lost on her that Rosh chose that moment to cast free of the Voidhawk and begin their short trip across the open void to his vessel.

Rosh
laughed. “It can be, but it’s all about what you’re doing with it. That and they ain’t got the kind of luck Dexter does. What happened to his kid tells me his luck ain’t changed none.”

Tasha grimaced, but she had to agree with him. “Aye, but hard work and dedication get him through every time. You should know that.”

“Maybe it’s just that, luck. Bad luck lands him in those spots, and good luck gets him through.”

Tasha turned to stare at him. She shook her head. “It’s not luck, it’s…it’s—”

“Aw hell,” Rosh muttered. “You’re sweet on him, ain’t ya?”

Tasha snapped her mouth shut and hoped she hadn’t gaped long enough to tell Rosh anything. “I certainly
am not! I admire and respect him! Captain Silvercloud’s unlike any other man I’ve ever worked under.”

“Jenna know you been spending time under him?”

Tasha’s jaw fell open again, only this time she couldn’t manage to close it. Rosh laughed at first, then his laughter turned deeper. Soon his entire body was shaking, the movement translating to the restyled fighter and making it vibrate and tremble. By the time she’d reigned in her outrage enough to respond Rosh was wiping tears from his eyes.

“
I have never and will never do any such thing!”

Rosh continued to erupt into chuckles and, occasionally, even an uncharacteristic giggle. Fortunately for Tasha, their voyage was shortly over. Rosh set the boat down on the shelf built into the side of the Second Chance and set about securing it. He grinned at Tasha and hopped off the boat and onto his ship, leading her through a door and into the interior.

“It’s smaller than the ‘Hawk, but we like it just fine like that,” he said. He pointed as he talked, explaining the layout. “Bridge is down there, under the fo’c’sle. Main deck’s got the cabins, you can stay in one of them. Crew quarters to the aft on the main deck but I got no crew. The stern’s got a small cargo hold in it, and the bilge is under the main deck.”

“Just you and Koda? You mentioned having a wizard?”

Rosh motioned for her to follow him. They walked up the companionway of the main deck to a door that opened onto the forecastle. Unlike most vessels, the design of the Second Chance only had the main deck and a descended bow deck. Four sails resembling wings rose off of the main deck, all of them connecting to a platform that rose several feet above the main deck. Also in the midst of the platform was a heavy ballista mounted on a turret.

He turned to a hatch in the bow deck and lifted the heavy door up. Tasha marveled at the thickness of it, as well as how heavily reinforced it was with iron. He stepped into the hole and climbed down a ladder built into the wall. Tasha followed, wondering what it was she was getting herself into.

The bridge seemed spacious in spite of its cozy nature. Three large windows faced each direction, forward, port and starboard. A table was built into the wall under the bow window. To the right of the hatch the helm sat and in it sat a beautiful dark haired woman.